Once Smitten, Twice Shy

November 1, 2024

Will isn't looking for love, but he is searching for a woman to marry who can help him run his family farm and distillery and handle the social dynamics of the business. Juliet is taking a break from dating after getting out of a long-term serious relationship. She doesn't quite trust herself to begin another relationship but wants to sharpen her flirting skills for when she is ready to find love again. After a couple of serendipitous meet-cutes, Will and Juliet make a mutually beneficial pact. They will help each other reach their goals by practicing romance with one other, but what begins as just practice evolves into something undeniably genuine in this steamy third novel in Liese's "Wilmot Sisters" trilogy. Like the rest of the series (including recent installment Better Hate Than Never), it reimagines a Shakespeare play--this time, it's Twelfth Night. VERDICT Told from alternating points of view, with main characters who are autistic and living with a chronic illness, and featuring a large and supportive network of friends and family, this satisfying romance is a celebration of love, family, and inclusivity.--Migdalia Jimenez

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November 18, 2024
This swoony friends-to-lovers take on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, the third in Liese’s Wilmot Sisters series (after Better Hate Than Never), kicks off with a chance meeting—and almost kiss—between Juliet Wilmot and tall redhead Will Orsino at a bar in Scotland. The two meet again seven months later when Juliet finds Will asleep in her greenhouse, nearly attacking him with a trowel before he explains that he’s a college friend of her brother’s who got their neighboring properties mixed up. After these spark-filled first meetings, Will confides in Juliet that his family expects him to get married soon, even though he’s painfully shy around girls. He and Juliet make an agreement: through texting, social engagements, and unrelenting banter, she’ll help him learn how to romance somebody. But before long, they’re the ones falling in love. Liese’s breezy tone charms and she establishes an appealing flirtatious rapport between the two leads. Unfortunately, the focus on disparate intimate moments between the protagonists comes at the expense of narrative momentum, and the meandering plot lacks meaningful stakes. Still, the undeniable chemistry between Will and Juliet will be enough to hook fans of lighthearted romance retellings.

December 1, 2024
Ever since she discovered that the man she was set to marry is actually a manipulative abuser, Juliet Wilmot is taking a break from love. Based on his own prior unsuccessful, short-lived romantic relationships, Will Orsino has concluded that he is destined to be single. However, when fate brings Juliet and Will together not just once but twice, Juliet begins to think the universe may be telling her something. If Juliet were to help Will upgrade his romantic wooing skills, that could also provide her with the chance to dip her toes back in the dating pool. Since both Juliet and Will know exactly what they are getting into upfront, what could be the harm? Liese (Better Hate Than Never, 2023) continues her brilliantly conceived, wryly witty Wilmot Sisters series with a beguiling romance inspired by Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. In addition to deftly delivering a beautifully balanced mix of romantic sweetness and sensual heat, Liese writes with thoughtful insight about living with a chronic disease and neurodiversity.

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