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wilybooklover's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
Reading this felt like drinking a mug of hot chocolate; comforting and sweet in a simple yet charming way.
I found both main characters really relatable. As a daydreamer myself (albeit not to this extent), I enjoyed reading a main character who daydreams in such vivid detail and loses herself in an imaginary world. Contrary to some other readers, I didn’t find it difficult to tell when the daydreams began or that the daydreams took over the narrative compared to the plot. Also, like Maybell, I do appreciate a man in a nice cardigan.
Wesley was just the most adorable cinnamon roll ever despite his grouchy exterior, especially after the 40% mark when he starts to open up. I appreciated that the ~power of love~ didn’t miraculously cure him of his social anxiety like it does so often in romances. His dislike of socialising definitely spoke to me.
I did think the side characters were a bit too cruel to be real, although they didn’t take up much page time and the cruelty was tempered by the sweetness of the romance. The house renovations were also completed unrealistically quickly with remarkably few hiccups. That never happens.
Overall, this was a really cute, fluffy read that still had a lot of depth and heart to it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Grief, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Misogyny, and Racism
rebelbooks101's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The first 40% of this book was a struggle. We follow this girl named Maybell who has found out that her Great Aunt has died and that she has inherited this house only when she gets to the house she finds out that someone else has also inherited the house.
Something I’m learning about myself is I don’t really care for storylines where they are fixing up an old house or something like that which I realize is the plot here but after hearing a lot of positive things I wanted to give it a chance because with plots. I don’t think I’ll enjoy, there are times I do end up still liking them. This wasn’t one of those times unfortunately and I did not care for that part of the story.
Along with that, the beginning 40% I did not care about at all. I couldn’t care less about the house and Wesley was just so grumpy. Every moment of page time these two had was just them arguing and given this is a forced proximity book where they were basically the only two characters it got annoying for me the reader very fast. Grumpy x Sunshine is one of those hit or miss tropes for me along with enemies to lovers. The beginning half I really thought I was going to give this book 2 stars and had also debated dnfing it.
However, once we saw these characters start having peaceful conversations this book improved a ton! I really like the upward trajectory the second half of this book took. Wesley is all of the sudden a completely different person (in a good way) and you start to understand a bit more why he is the way he is. On a personal preference level, I definitely think I would’ve enjoyed this book more had he become a lot more likeable sooner because he wasn’t grumpy at all for the rest of the book which makes me hesitant to recommend it as grumpy x sunshine and more as “looks like he could kill you, is actually a cinnamon roll” kind of trope meme thing. Either that or I think adding his perspective could’ve helped as well because it really was a drag to get through the unlikeable Wesley at the beginning.
I really liked the social anxiety rep. There were parts I definitely could relate to and felt for Wesley in. He definitely had some similar experiences to my own.
I also appreciated the lack of the forced third act conflict at the end. Like yes there was a conflict to some extent I suppose, but it wasn’t one of those forced ones where all of the sudden the characters can’t be together that I’m tired of seeing.
Overall I did like this book but given how unenjoyable the beginning was, I can’t really justify giving it a higher rating than a 3.5.
Something I’m learning about myself is I don’t really care for storylines where they are fixing up an old house or something like that which I realize is the plot here but after hearing a lot of positive things I wanted to give it a chance because with plots. I don’t think I’ll enjoy, there are times I do end up still liking them. This wasn’t one of those times unfortunately and I did not care for that part of the story.
Along with that, the beginning 40% I did not care about at all. I couldn’t care less about the house and Wesley was just so grumpy. Every moment of page time these two had was just them arguing and given this is a forced proximity book where they were basically the only two characters it got annoying for me the reader very fast. Grumpy x Sunshine is one of those hit or miss tropes for me along with enemies to lovers. The beginning half I really thought I was going to give this book 2 stars and had also debated dnfing it.
However, once we saw these characters start having peaceful conversations this book improved a ton! I really like the upward trajectory the second half of this book took. Wesley is all of the sudden a completely different person (in a good way) and you start to understand a bit more why he is the way he is. On a personal preference level, I definitely think I would’ve enjoyed this book more had he become a lot more likeable sooner because he wasn’t grumpy at all for the rest of the book which makes me hesitant to recommend it as grumpy x sunshine and more as “looks like he could kill you, is actually a cinnamon roll” kind of trope meme thing. Either that or I think adding his perspective could’ve helped as well because it really was a drag to get through the unlikeable Wesley at the beginning.
I really liked the social anxiety rep. There were parts I definitely could relate to and felt for Wesley in. He definitely had some similar experiences to my own.
I also appreciated the lack of the forced third act conflict at the end. Like yes there was a conflict to some extent I suppose, but it wasn’t one of those forced ones where all of the sudden the characters can’t be together that I’m tired of seeing.
Overall I did like this book but given how unenjoyable the beginning was, I can’t really justify giving it a higher rating than a 3.5.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
debussy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I loved Sarah Hogle's debut, as well as her more recent Just Like Magic. Twice Shy is far more quiet compared to the others, and while there is still the same kind of quirk it's much more muted by the characters' emotional conflicts and the book's emphasis on mental illness. While I really enjoyed the bulk of the book, I did feel like the theme of love "fixing" a person's mental illness didn't really hit. As a person with anxiety no where near the level portrayed in the book, who is on medication and in therapy, the resolution was nice for the plot's sake, but I did not love it and found myself mostly frustrated that no one even mentioned more realistic ways to treat such illness that is not suffering until you find someone who loves you enough to be an emotional support system willing to forgive anything because that's their personality flaw.
I also didn't really understand some of the external plot--where was their money coming from to fix up this house? It's described as a money pit--a hoarding situation in 11,000 square feet, and it's fixed with a couple of dumpsters and some Magic Erasers? What happened with the funding? It's all glossed over, and I wish there'd been more meat on the bones there.
Soooo...by far my least favorite Sarah Hogle book, but the writing is still A+.
I also didn't really understand some of the external plot--where was their money coming from to fix up this house? It's described as a money pit--a hoarding situation in 11,000 square feet, and it's fixed with a couple of dumpsters and some Magic Erasers? What happened with the funding? It's all glossed over, and I wish there'd been more meat on the bones there.
Soooo...by far my least favorite Sarah Hogle book, but the writing is still A+.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Emotional abuse
the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I really liked Wesley, but I could not stand Maybell.
For example, her tendency to slip into daydreams bordered on delusional hallucinations. At a minimum, it was concerning and sometimes bordered on cringey. Maybell was also really self-involved and was repeatedly inconsiderate of Wesley despite him being so attentive and caring for her. Like why would she fly all the way to Scotland before trying to figure out what happened?
For example, her tendency to slip into daydreams bordered on delusional hallucinations. At a minimum, it was concerning and sometimes bordered on cringey. Maybell was also really self-involved and was repeatedly inconsiderate of Wesley despite him being so attentive and caring for her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexual content
Catfishing is a major plot componentbooknerdbetty's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual content, and Car accident
foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This might end up being one of my favourite romance novels of all time. I loved Maybell and I really saw myself in this character (maybe because she’s a Libra moon and I’m a Libra Sun). Going off into her own world and her conflict avoidant nature was something I related to and Wesley’s description of feeling claustrophobic in the air, I swear I was like yelling because that’s exactly how I feel! Maybell and Wesley’s relationship is so sweet, how they actively work to understand each other and work with each other. If you like grumpy-sunshine, forced proximity books and enjoyed You Deserve Each Other by the same author, then you’ll love this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, and Mental illness
Minor: Misogyny
ashleycmms's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Toxic friendship
emily_mh's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was the sweetest romance I've read in a while - it was so comforting and I finished it off in one sitting. I really liked how there was no conflict and just a lot of fluff as it was exactly what I needed. I wish the setting existed for real!
Maybell was a funny narrator, but it was Wesley who really shone for me. I literally fell in love with him and now no man will compare. Also, I loved Victor and Violet's love story and definitely shed a tear for them. This book just did love so well.
Maybell was a funny narrator, but it was Wesley who really shone for me. I literally fell in love with him and now no man will compare. Also, I loved Victor and Violet's love story and definitely shed a tear for them. This book just did love so well.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Blood, Vomit, Car accident, and Toxic friendship
spearly's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
And I am weak. My spine was manufactured by Charmin. I want to be commanding, stern, intimidating, but I am raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. My resolve is dandelion fluff. When he looks at me like that, my inner vocabulary bursts apart like a piñata of candy conversation hearts.
When Maybell’s great-aunt Violet passes, Maybell is shocked to find out that she’s inherited her estate. Only, when she shows up to the manor, it’s nothing at all like she remembers; walls need painting, appliances need replacing, and the place is FILLED with… stuff. Everything from old magazines, most-ridden clothes, to pretty much everything an old woman can buy from an infomercial. What’s worse: she runs into the grumpy groundkeeper, who, to her dismay, shares a face with the tinder profile that had been used to catfish her for months. And worse still: according to Violet’s will, they are equal-inheritors of the estate.
Holy. Flipping. Cow.
This book is like a warm cup of hot chocolate on a rainy day. I want to wrap myself up in it like a cocoon and live in it forever. Maybe I can make my own Maybell’s Coffee Shop AU and just live in the universe of Twice Shy.
I can’t get my thoughts together. I adored everything about this.
The writing. The characters. The setting. The romance. The pining. The neuro-divergent representation. I could feel my heart inflating like a balloon with Maybell’s. There it goes.
I’m convinced men written by women is the reason I find men in real life diappointing. Cause Wesley!? Holy Mackerel, did my heart flutter for him. I loved how Maybell made him feel safe, loved, understood, how he did the same for her. I loved how healthy the relationship was. I loved Hogle never relied on silly conflicts and childish misunderstandings for needless turmoil.
Some people have written in their reviews that this book is slow. I’ve complained about that myself in a number of other reviews. But pacing wasn’t an issue for me here. Twice Shy didn’t need some large, overly-complicated melodrama, some big elephant-in-the-room climax for our characters to overcome. This is a story of acceptance. Of understanding. Of unconditional love. Of feeling worthy. Everything else is just noise.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Cursing, Death, Sexism, Sexual content, Vomit, and Grief
lastingliterature's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I can already tell Sarah Hogle will be one of my favorite romance authors. You Deserve Each Other was a solid 4-star book for me, so I was looking forward to the same with this one.
This book tells the story of optimistic, bubbly Maybell and grumpy, quiet Wesley who both inherit Maybell’s late aunt's house. Wesley has dreams of turning it into an animal sanctuary and Maybell sees potential in it becoming a hotel. They agree to work together to fix up the place and make both their dreams come true. I think you can already see the tropes emerging 👀
I will say it took me a bit to get into this one. Maybell was kinda annoying, and I found it odd how she went from a doormat at work to being confident and strong within a couple of pages. Wesley, on the other hand, wasn’t shown to have *any* personality. HOWEVER, that changed very quickly. As soon as they started having actual conversations, I was hooked.
Wesley. Sweet, sweet Wesley. He will now hold a little piece of my heart. I really appreciated seeing a male romantic interest cope with extreme anxiety. While I am starting to see more anxiety rep in books the last couple of years, it is often not shown through male characters. He is tender and generous and shy and beautiful and I want another book about him right this second.
The writing style of this one also felt different than Hogle’s last book. Maybell is infatuated with her AU (alternate universe) where her mind is constantly slipping into the clouds where her dream café lives. This dream-like world carries itself into the words of this novel, and the beautiful figurative language elevates it to another level. It was very hard not to be enchanted by this story!
This is very close to a 5-star read for me! I feel compelled to take off 1/2 a star because the beginning left me wanting more.
I need another Sarah Hogle book ASAP!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
This book tells the story of optimistic, bubbly Maybell and grumpy, quiet Wesley who both inherit Maybell’s late aunt's house. Wesley has dreams of turning it into an animal sanctuary and Maybell sees potential in it becoming a hotel. They agree to work together to fix up the place and make both their dreams come true. I think you can already see the tropes emerging 👀
I will say it took me a bit to get into this one. Maybell was kinda annoying, and I found it odd how she went from a doormat at work to being confident and strong within a couple of pages. Wesley, on the other hand, wasn’t shown to have *any* personality. HOWEVER, that changed very quickly. As soon as they started having actual conversations, I was hooked.
Wesley. Sweet, sweet Wesley. He will now hold a little piece of my heart. I really appreciated seeing a male romantic interest cope with extreme anxiety. While I am starting to see more anxiety rep in books the last couple of years, it is often not shown through male characters. He is tender and generous and shy and beautiful and I want another book about him right this second.
The writing style of this one also felt different than Hogle’s last book. Maybell is infatuated with her AU (alternate universe) where her mind is constantly slipping into the clouds where her dream café lives. This dream-like world carries itself into the words of this novel, and the beautiful figurative language elevates it to another level. It was very hard not to be enchanted by this story!
This is very close to a 5-star read for me! I feel compelled to take off 1/2 a star because the beginning left me wanting more.
I need another Sarah Hogle book ASAP!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Minor: Death