Twice Shy

Hogle’s excellent sophomore novel (after You Deserve Each Other) is an endearing take on the enemies-to-lovers trope. For Maybell Parrish, inheriting a house from the beloved great-aunt she hasn’t seen in 20 years is the perfect excuse to leave her crowded apartment and toxic workplace behind. But when she arrives, she’s shocked to learn that she must share the Falling Stars estate with Wesley Koehler, her aunt’s groundskeeper who also happens to be the man she thought she was in a long-distance relationship with before discovering that her co-worker was catfishing her. Both refusing to be bought out, they must work together to rehabilitate Falling Stars to its former glory. But grumpy, stubborn Wesley is nothing like the man who’s starred in Maybell’s wildest daydreams ever since she “met” him online. They immediately butt heads, disagreeing on every decision—but while working and living in close proximity, Maybell begins to see beyond Wesley’s gruff facade. Particularly moving are both characters’ struggles with mental health issues, as in the standout scene in which Wesley, who suffers from anxiety, helps Maybell through a panic attack. Readers are sure to be enchanted by this couple and their deeply felt struggle to open their hearts. [em]Agent: Taylor Haggerty, Root Literary. (Apr.) [/em]