Twice Shy Review

I think he’s under a curse – if he laughs, he’ll die. This is a sensible explanation to me. It isn’t that I’m not a joy to be around, it’s that he’ll literally die.

twice shy, sarah hogle

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Author: Sarah Hogle

Publication Date: 6 April 2021

Publisher: Putnam Books 

Page Count: 320 

Reading Method: Physical [ Thank you to the publisher for the finished copy for review ] 

Dates Read: May 3

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Synopsis: 

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.

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Review:

Last year I spent a glorious afternoon reading You Deserve Each Other.  It was easily one of my favorite books of 2020.  It was hilarious and amazing – check out my review for yourself.  So when I saw that Hogle had another book coming out I was ~desperate~ to get my hands on a copy.  I saw someone else with a review copy and they spoke so highly of it that I knew I was in for a treat.   

Plot: 

Maybell inherits a home from her Great-Aunt Violet, but when she goes to claim it she notices there are a few issues.  1) The house is literally falling apart and packed with random stuff.  2) She has to share her inheritance with the incredibly grumpy groundskeeper.  The two of them must learn to live together and work together to return the home to its former glory. 

There are so many things happening in this book, meaning there is never a dull moment.  It somehow all seems so random but so perfectly suited to the story and the characters.  It was absolute perfection.  

Characters: 

The story centers around Maybell and Wesley.  Maybell’s life hasn’t been easy, but she always remembers the brief time she spent living with her Great Aunt Violet.  She’s working a crap job with awful co-workers.  Maybell lives with her head in the clouds, where her imaginary diner/shop exists and she gets to play out her fantasies on repeat.  But we get to see her real character when she is forced to live with Wesley – who is, perhaps, the grumpiest, quietest person she has ever met.  As the story progresses we get to see her fire, her passion, determination, her sweet side, and stubbornness.  

Wesley also has a lot going on.  He dreams of turning the house into a farm animal sanctuary, where cows and other farm animals can come live out their days in peace.  Though he comes across as disgruntled and standoffish, there is so much going on beneath the surface.  He’s wonderfully complex and its fun to watch Maybell draw him out of his shell bit by bit. 

Writing: 

Y’all already know what I am going to say.  I find Hogle to be an excellent writer.  I genuinely look forward to her releases.  She has a way of taking these complex characters and making them fun, hilarious, and relatable.  Sometimes when you’re reading you find yourself laughing in your head, but Hogle makes me ~actually~ laugh out loud.  A lot. And I love a book that can make me laugh.  

Overall: 

Another slam dunk from Hogle, though I wasn’t expecting anything less.  Hogle is officially on my auto-buy author list and I won’t stop yelling about how much I love You Deserve Each Other and Twice Shy. 

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