Maybell Parish's daydream about her very own bakery with her very own boyfriend is rudely interrupted. The help of her great-aunt Violet sought her out to tell her Violet died and left everything to Maybell.
So Maybell does the reasonable thing, packs all her things, gets in her car, and drives to the Smokies to live in the house she loved so much as a child. But to her horror, not just is the house a hoarder's den, she learns she isn't the only inheritor. Wesley Koehler is already waiting with containers and garbage bags to turn her home into a sanctuary for animals. And he is not happy to see her.
- I think he’s under a curse—if he laughs, he’ll die. This is a sensible explanation to me. It isn’t that I’m not a joy to be around, it’s that he’ll literally die.
This novel contains examples of the following tropes:
- Contrived Coincidence: Gemma used pictures of Wesley to catfish Maybell. Apparently, they were colleagues at the golf club Gemma worked before she went on to Maybell's hotel and Wesley moved to the Smokies.
- Catfishing: Maybell was catfished by her colleague, Gemma, because Gemma's boyfriend was interested in Maybell.
- Cope by Pretending: Since Maybell is little, she pretends she has a Café where she sells all her homemade baked goods. Now that she is older, she also added a boyfriend.
- Friend to All Living Things: Wesley loves everything on this earth *but* humans.
- Real Men Eat Meat: Maybell believes this. When Wesley tells her that he is a vegetarian, she thinks he is pulling her leg and tries to catch him eat bacon before accepting his diet.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Maybell gives one to Wesley about halfway into the book. It helps them finally open up a bit.
- "For someone as beautiful as you are, it's a shame you're such an insufferable ass.I'm not that bad, you know. You are constantly turning your back on me, ignoring me when I'm around like I'm a punishment to talk to, and it makes me feel like shit. You make me feel even lonelier than I already was."Whatever! I won't bother you anymore, then. Go ahead and be alone."
- Thinks Like a Romance Novel: Maybell has a Café in her head she retreats to cope with stress. In this Café, she plays in it with a guy named Jack.
- There Is Only One Bed: Subverted. There is only one bed, Wesley's, but he gives it to Maybell and sleeps in a sleeping bag.
- Treasure Map: Before his death, Victor left a treasure map between the Christmas Ornaments for Violet to find jewelry and pictures of them on their property, so she wouldn't grieve him too much. Sadly, Violet stopped celebrating Christmas after his death and never found the map. Maybell and Wesley discover it upon cleaning out the house and go on a day trip to cache the containers.
- Twice Shy: Literally the title of the book. Both Wesley and Maybell are into each other, but are way too shy to even talk with one another.
- Workplace-Acquired Abilities: The irony that she gave up her job as a housekeeper to clean her great-aunts house for free is not lost on Maybell.
