4.25 stars

Representation: autism, mixed connective tissue disorder, celiac disease

I love Chloe Liese. Every single book of hers is a blast, and Once Smitten, Twice Shy is no exception. The heart of this book is, as always, the chronic illness and disability representation. There is so much obvious thought and care put into the details of this story, and how Juliet’s connective tissue disorder affects every aspect of her day to day life. I could feel her pain–not only the physical pain, but all of the emotions that come alongside a new diagnosis and what it is like to suddenly become disabled. It was raw and real. Similarly, Will’s autism was portrayed in such a casual yet effective way. It’s simply a part of him that is woven into every aspect of his character, seamlessly. I especially love how these characters’ disabilities are woven into their love story, the way they love each other, and the care that they have for each other.

Chloe Liese is phenomenal at this.

While this was not my favorite of Chloe Liese’s books–the pacing was not quite there for me, and I didn’t connect quite as strongly with our characters on a personality level as I have with others from this author, I still highly recommend it. I am so excited to see what Chloe Liese does next, though I am a little sad to be saying goodbye to the Wilmot sisters trilogy!