Tish Gallagher’s life has finally hit rock bottom.  She can’t seem to get her wedding videography business off the ground, her credit cards are all maxed out, and she can’t get over the ex-husband who left her two years ago.  She jokingly makes a wish for success on the “magic” wedding veil a friend gave her, but after another series of disasters, she’s ready to throw in the towel.  Then she gets an unbelievable opportunity to videotape the wedding of the President’s daughter.  There’s only one catch—the groom is her ex!

I’ll admit I wasn’t really looking forward to reading Once Smitten, Twice Shy.  I usually hate stories in which someone is engaged and then falls for someone other than the fiancée.  Luckily for me, however, Lori Wilde made a storyline I would normally dislike enjoyable using believable characters and lots of emotion. 

While I often wanted to smack Tish, especially when she made dumb decisions, I empathized with her and truly wanted her to get her act together.  Her strength was admirable, and I liked her humor as well.  Shane, her ex, was exactly the type of hero I like: strong yet secretly vulnerable, badass (Secret Service, yum!), protective.  The chemistry between the two of them was palpable, and the emotion heart-wrenching, especially when the reasons they separated are revealed.  The secondary characters were well-drawn and likeable, especially Shane’s fiancée, Elysee.  I’d like to see her get her own story someday.  Along with appealing characters and lots of emotion, Ms. Wilde also sprinkled in a bit of action, which added spice and interest to the story.  If you’re in the mood for a sweet story of second chances, pick up Once Smitten, Twice Shy.