Recent Reads: Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle

Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle
Publisher:  G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date:  April 6, 2021

 

Format: Paperback
Source: Bought/Own

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Can you find real love when you've always got your head in the clouds?

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 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.

Review: 

I saw this book in a YouTube video from another reader that I follow, and she has such a nice review of it. I picked it up from my local bookstore and it was such a quick read. This book follows Maybell, a girl living in her head and daydreams. She is a romantic but living a life that she is just trudging through versus actually living. When her great aunt passes, she leaves her the house she visited as a child and it seems like the perfect arrangement to get out of her crappy life. 

Maybell is blindsided when she learns that Wesley, the former groundskeeper, has also inherited the house. They have to work together to fix up the old house, or choose to sacrifice their half to the other. Both are determined to make the house their own in their own ways and the story is adorable.  

I really liked Maybell, she was such a relatable character and I love that she is a dreamer and goes off into her own world when she wants to get away. Wesley is a bit gruff in the beginning but I always really liked him as well. Their relationship is such a fun one, it is not hate to love, but really an awkward silence that builds into something sweet. I really enjoyed their bickering and Maybell's awkwardness, it had some laugh-out-loud moments and some awwww moments. The story really focuses on this relationship build, which makes sense because it is a romance. I felt like I learned a lot about Maybell and was very invested in her finding happiness and so this made for a quick and easy read that I wanted to jump back into every time I put it down. 

If  you are looking for a swoony read, this fits that bill so well. If you want someone to hate, there is that in this book as well - Maybell has a very toxic friendship and I wanted to come through the pages to help Maybell get rid of her. 

All that said, if you are looking for a nice adult, light, summery, swoony book that has romance and some bickering, this one is a very cute choice and I really enjoyed it.