Once Ghosted, Twice Shy

I enjoyed this story a lot!

I recently embarked on a journey back to my first love – reading, and "Once-Ghosted, Twice Shy: A Reluctant Royals Novella" by Alyssa Cole was the perfect vessel for this delightful return. After twelve years dominated by professional and educational pursuits, this novella reminded me of the sheer joy of losing myself in the world of someone else's imagination.

The nostalgia hit me as soon as I saw the cover, reminiscent of the romance novels that captivated me in my teenage years, but with a delightful queer twist. The Arabesque novel-esque vibes drew me in, and I eagerly dove into the narrative, making it a point to create the perfect ambiance with a taste sip and a carefully curated "reading room" playlist.

What ensued was a literary escapade into the second chance at love between Likotsi and Fabiola. The alternating perspectives added depth to the story, keeping me engaged and invested in their journey. The novella's brevity didn't diminish its impact; instead, it left me both sated and craving more.

The creative approach to how Likotsi and Fabiola "took the day" to reconnect was nothing short of captivating. I found myself not wanting the day to end, mirroring the characters' desire for more time together. The preview at the end served as an enticing teaser, leaving me eager to explore the other novels in the Reluctant Royals series.

Alyssa Cole has masterfully crafted a tale that blends romance, nostalgia, and a sapphic twist, making "Once-Ghosted, Twice Shy" a must-read for those seeking a brief yet enchanting escape into the world of love and second chances. I look forward to returning for the rest of the Reluctant Royals series and immersing myself further into this delightful literary universe.

Contemporary romance isn’t usually my thing, but I’m so desperate to get another f/f historical romance out of Alyssa Cole (having loved “That Could Be Enough”) that I decided to triangulate by picking up “Once Ghosted, Twice Shy” for the f/f side, and her Loyal League series for the historical side. I still want more f/f historicals but at least I get more Alyssa Cole.

I really enjoyed this very NYC second-chance story of two equally delightful women whose intended brief fling looked to turn into something more...until it didn’t, and how they negotiated around the lingering hurt to put the pieces back together again. The two protagonists are so vividly real as people and Cole’s voice is masterful--both the narrative voice and the voicing of the two rather different characters. The structure followed the common path of alternating viewpoints, but then took the interesting approach of jumping back and forth between their original meeting and their second-chance get-together. It worked perfectly to let the explanations unfold without resorting to talking heads, while leaving the reader in the same suspense as to what had happened that the “ghosted” character was in.

The story is relatively short (novella length) so just the right bite-size for reading in a single session.