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A review by lastingliterature
Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle
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