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Fool Me Once #1
Fool Me Once
In this fierce and funny battle of the exes, Ashley Winstead's Fool Me Once explores the chaos of wanting what you already had.
Lee Stone is a twenty-first-century she kicks butt at her job as a communications director at a women-run electric car company (that’s better than Tesla, thank you) and after work she is “Stoner,” drinking guys under the table and never letting any of them get too comfortable in her bed…
That’s because Lee’s learned one big never trust love. After four major heartbreaks set her straight, from her father cheating on her mom all the way to Ben Laderman in grad school—who wasn’t actually cheating, but she could have sworn he was, so she reciprocated in kind.
Then Ben shows up five years later, working as a policy expert for the most liberal governor in Texas history, just as Lee is trying to get a clean energy bill rolling. Things get complicated—and competitive—as Lee and Ben are forced to work together. Tension builds just as old sparks reignite, fanning the flames for a romantic dustup the size of Texas.
Lee Stone is a twenty-first-century she kicks butt at her job as a communications director at a women-run electric car company (that’s better than Tesla, thank you) and after work she is “Stoner,” drinking guys under the table and never letting any of them get too comfortable in her bed…
That’s because Lee’s learned one big never trust love. After four major heartbreaks set her straight, from her father cheating on her mom all the way to Ben Laderman in grad school—who wasn’t actually cheating, but she could have sworn he was, so she reciprocated in kind.
Then Ben shows up five years later, working as a policy expert for the most liberal governor in Texas history, just as Lee is trying to get a clean energy bill rolling. Things get complicated—and competitive—as Lee and Ben are forced to work together. Tension builds just as old sparks reignite, fanning the flames for a romantic dustup the size of Texas.
358 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 5, 2022
543 people are currently reading
33865 people want to read
About the author
Ashley Winstead
9 books5,684 followersAshley Winstead's bestselling, critically-acclaimed books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, optioned for television, named Book of the Month, Indie Next, Library Read, Loan Star, and Amazon Editor picks, and covered everywhere from the New York Times to People magazine. She's a former academic who lives in Houston with her husband, three cats, and beloved wine fridge.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,116 reviews
May 27, 2022
i usually dont have a problem separating fiction from reality, but there are a couple of moments in this where the story excuses/justifies cheating as “everyone makes mistakes” and i just dont like that.
not to mention the MC is beyond terrible, the writing tries way too embarrassingly hard, and the narrative is more political than a romance story needs be (which is not at all).
just an overall no for me, personally.
↠ 2 stars
not to mention the MC is beyond terrible, the writing tries way too embarrassingly hard, and the narrative is more political than a romance story needs be (which is not at all).
just an overall no for me, personally.
↠ 2 stars
August 15, 2023
Re-read 8/15/23: Finally cracked the longest reading slump of my adult life, and of course it would be with re-reading a favorite <3 this book is iconic and I am so!!!! excited!!! to finally now be able to re-unite with these characters by diving into The Boyfriend Candidate!!!
Re-read 5/27/22: This is a damn near perfect book for me and I loved it even more on re-read than I did the first time I read it back in January. Our main character Lee is the definition of a hot mess, but she crawled right under my skin and into my heart and I just adored her, questionable morals and all. This is definitely a book following some ~*unlikeable*~ characters, but I found myself constantly rooting for all of them. The story revolves pretty heavily around cheating, and while there isn't any physical cheating going on during the present timeline of the story, I can't deny that there are definitely some lines that are being crossed by Lee and her love interest, Ben. If emotional cheating done by a main character is a hard line for you, I would maybe skip this one. But with all that being said, this book just worked so, so perfectly for me. It was somehow both hilarious and heart-wrenching in all the best ways and I will absolutely be re-reading it for the rest of my life. Crossing my fingers and toes that Ashley Winstead has plans to write more rom-coms in the future because I need so much more!!!! So, so good.
Original read 1/14/22: This was EXQUISITE. It may only be January but I already know that this is definitely going to be right up near the top of my 2022 favorites list.
CW: cheating, death of a parent, alcoholism, drug use
Re-read 5/27/22: This is a damn near perfect book for me and I loved it even more on re-read than I did the first time I read it back in January. Our main character Lee is the definition of a hot mess, but she crawled right under my skin and into my heart and I just adored her, questionable morals and all. This is definitely a book following some ~*unlikeable*~ characters, but I found myself constantly rooting for all of them. The story revolves pretty heavily around cheating, and while there isn't any physical cheating going on during the present timeline of the story, I can't deny that there are definitely some lines that are being crossed by Lee and her love interest, Ben. If emotional cheating done by a main character is a hard line for you, I would maybe skip this one. But with all that being said, this book just worked so, so perfectly for me. It was somehow both hilarious and heart-wrenching in all the best ways and I will absolutely be re-reading it for the rest of my life. Crossing my fingers and toes that Ashley Winstead has plans to write more rom-coms in the future because I need so much more!!!! So, so good.
Original read 1/14/22: This was EXQUISITE. It may only be January but I already know that this is definitely going to be right up near the top of my 2022 favorites list.
CW: cheating, death of a parent, alcoholism, drug use
April 16, 2022
Let’s say : “All right all right all right” as like McConaughey’s line from Dazed and Confused movie and his Oscar speech!
I have no problem about this book . Actually I envy the talent of Ashley Winstead who can write in different genres adroitly and get fantastic results. “In my dreams I hold knife” was even smarter, more exciting, brilliant work than the thriller books which were highly appraised and turned into streaming series!
And this romcom is easy to read, smart, riveting, entertaining!
The heroine Lee Stone is great combination of Scandal’s Olivia Pope meets Fleabag’s main character played by Phoebe Waller Bridge ( you realize we still don’t know the character’s name in the series) with sassy Georgia Miller vibes from Ginny& Georgia series.
The chemistry between Ben and Lee was also steamy!
So I know what you’re asking? Why the hell I only gave three stars!
The reason is obvious: I don’t like to read romances when one of the MC’s ( or two of them) cheater. It’s a big no for me even though the author clearly tells us the reasoning behind the characters’ actions, I still hesitate to trust their behaviors.
From the beginning I had hard time to connect with Lee. She’s kickass communication director who takes no sh*t from man. She was a great portrait of anti heroine at first. I waited to see her character’s developing and wished she saw her mistakes to learn her lessons. I understand how her trust issues and feeling not to be deserved someone’s love were the setbacks prevent her to form a sincere bond in her relationships. But I didn’t see enough effort from her at the end. I wish I witnessed how she grew up, wore big girl’s pants, making up for the faults she’s made!
Overall: it was still well written, entertaining, smart novel from one of the brilliant authors I enjoy to read the works of. I wish I could relate more with the heroine.
I’m still looking forward to read next books of the author ( thriller or romance: both genres are truly accepted)
Special thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
I have no problem about this book . Actually I envy the talent of Ashley Winstead who can write in different genres adroitly and get fantastic results. “In my dreams I hold knife” was even smarter, more exciting, brilliant work than the thriller books which were highly appraised and turned into streaming series!
And this romcom is easy to read, smart, riveting, entertaining!
The heroine Lee Stone is great combination of Scandal’s Olivia Pope meets Fleabag’s main character played by Phoebe Waller Bridge ( you realize we still don’t know the character’s name in the series) with sassy Georgia Miller vibes from Ginny& Georgia series.
The chemistry between Ben and Lee was also steamy!
So I know what you’re asking? Why the hell I only gave three stars!
The reason is obvious: I don’t like to read romances when one of the MC’s ( or two of them) cheater. It’s a big no for me even though the author clearly tells us the reasoning behind the characters’ actions, I still hesitate to trust their behaviors.
From the beginning I had hard time to connect with Lee. She’s kickass communication director who takes no sh*t from man. She was a great portrait of anti heroine at first. I waited to see her character’s developing and wished she saw her mistakes to learn her lessons. I understand how her trust issues and feeling not to be deserved someone’s love were the setbacks prevent her to form a sincere bond in her relationships. But I didn’t see enough effort from her at the end. I wish I witnessed how she grew up, wore big girl’s pants, making up for the faults she’s made!
Overall: it was still well written, entertaining, smart novel from one of the brilliant authors I enjoy to read the works of. I wish I could relate more with the heroine.
I’m still looking forward to read next books of the author ( thriller or romance: both genres are truly accepted)
Special thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
April 5, 2024
writing: punchy | plot: girl stop | ending: yeets book to the sun
my opinion
*cracks knuckles* let's get into it. Despite hating The Last Housewife with every fibre of my being, I actually enjoyed The Boyfriend Candidate, so I thought maybe her romcoms hit better for me. WRONG *Trump voice*. This can only be described as "lmfao".
Just when I thought Shay was delusion personified, Lee stomped in and said hold my daddy issues and substance abuse. She definitely sky-rocketed to the top of my "most punchable FMCs" list, and I promise you it's for a good reason.
Lee will do anything BUT therapy to address her daddy issues. Drinking until she's blind? Check. Getting so high she can taste colours? Duh. Stalk a guy, high-key emotionally abuse him, and throw a bottle of vodka at him? Most definitely. Push a guy down the stairs? No problem. But therapy??? Out of the question.
I was already white-knuckling the book when I found out Lee preemptively cheated on the alleged love of her life, Ben, when she THOUGHT he was cheating based on some "excited" text messages. (yes, I read the blurb so I knew this was coming) But I was intrigued to see how this phat ass character flaw would be addressed. Would Lee take accountability for her actions? Or would she do Simone Biles' level mental gymnastics to somehow victimize herself? Obviously the latter.
Lee possessed Trump levels of audacity when she was legitimately mad at Ben for blocking her on everything after she cheated on him with his class rival. Idk how she convinced herself that he MUST respond to her or that she had any right to feel hurt. Lee's life motto is definitely: "How dare I face the consequences of my own actions???"
What really blew me was that Lee HATES cheaters because her dad cheated on her mom except when the cheating served her own interests. For example, Ben, who very much has a girlfriend, and Lee share a bed (eye roll) and she let's him spoon her in his sleep while only wearing undies. *the most bombastic of side eyes* And then when Ben confesses he moved to Texas (WITH HIS GF) because he couldn't stop thinking of Lee and was still in love with her, she doesn't bat an eye. Mans admitted to emotionally cheating (and wanting to physically cheat as well) on his gf WITH YOU and you're like yeah that's my man, I stand by him. HUH???????? Would this not feed into her narrative that all men do in fact cheat???? I guess not when it applies to their Hallmark worthy love story.
Unfortunately, that wasn't even the most flagrant display of hypocrisy in this book. Nope, that would be JUSTIFYING her married female boss' affair with the governor because "she needed some stress relief". Ummm just thinking outside the box here, but why not ask your husband for a massage instead? You literally refused to forgive your dead dad for YEARS because he cheated but you decided your boss gets a pass because somehow the patriarchy is at fault here????? It was honestly admirable how Lee made it seem like you were a misogynist incel if you held a woman accountable for her affair. She truly is meant for politics. Omg and don't get me started on when ole boss lady got up in front of reporters to address her entanglement and led with "As an engineer, I'm a big fan of logic." I may have only majored in communications but I fail to see the logic of cheating on your husband.
Like The Boyfriend Candidate, there were some good jokey-jokes in here and the writing was quite punchy at times. It really gave me early 2000s romcom vibes in some scenes. However, it was also relentlessly repetitive. A worm has a stronger spine than Ben does. The only reason they got back together was because Ben's self-respect was MIA. There's absolutely no reason to be THAT into Lee unless she had a serious blackmail file on you or could suck a golf ball through a garden hose (respectfully).
Lastly, I wanna say that the politics didn't bother me. A lot of reviewers hated it, but if you've read the blurb, you know what's up. What I hated was Lee's delulu ass (if you couldn't tell from this incoherent rant).
pros & cons
pros: funny at times
cons: Lee... come and catch these hands. So repetitive (how many times can Ben chase her as she storms away??), blaming the patriarchy for cheating on your husband is a new level of mental gymnastics so congrats, and because she was so heinous I have to say it again: LEE!!!!!!!
__
Check out my YouTube
my opinion
*cracks knuckles* let's get into it. Despite hating The Last Housewife with every fibre of my being, I actually enjoyed The Boyfriend Candidate, so I thought maybe her romcoms hit better for me. WRONG *Trump voice*. This can only be described as "lmfao".
Just when I thought Shay was delusion personified, Lee stomped in and said hold my daddy issues and substance abuse. She definitely sky-rocketed to the top of my "most punchable FMCs" list, and I promise you it's for a good reason.
Lee will do anything BUT therapy to address her daddy issues. Drinking until she's blind? Check. Getting so high she can taste colours? Duh. Stalk a guy, high-key emotionally abuse him, and throw a bottle of vodka at him? Most definitely. Push a guy down the stairs? No problem. But therapy??? Out of the question.
I was already white-knuckling the book when I found out Lee preemptively cheated on the alleged love of her life, Ben, when she THOUGHT he was cheating based on some "excited" text messages. (yes, I read the blurb so I knew this was coming) But I was intrigued to see how this phat ass character flaw would be addressed. Would Lee take accountability for her actions? Or would she do Simone Biles' level mental gymnastics to somehow victimize herself? Obviously the latter.
Lee possessed Trump levels of audacity when she was legitimately mad at Ben for blocking her on everything after she cheated on him with his class rival. Idk how she convinced herself that he MUST respond to her or that she had any right to feel hurt. Lee's life motto is definitely: "How dare I face the consequences of my own actions???"
What really blew me was that Lee HATES cheaters because her dad cheated on her mom except when the cheating served her own interests. For example, Ben, who very much has a girlfriend, and Lee share a bed (eye roll) and she let's him spoon her in his sleep while only wearing undies. *the most bombastic of side eyes* And then when Ben confesses he moved to Texas (WITH HIS GF) because he couldn't stop thinking of Lee and was still in love with her, she doesn't bat an eye. Mans admitted to emotionally cheating (and wanting to physically cheat as well) on his gf WITH YOU and you're like yeah that's my man, I stand by him. HUH???????? Would this not feed into her narrative that all men do in fact cheat???? I guess not when it applies to their Hallmark worthy love story.
Unfortunately, that wasn't even the most flagrant display of hypocrisy in this book. Nope, that would be JUSTIFYING her married female boss' affair with the governor because "she needed some stress relief". Ummm just thinking outside the box here, but why not ask your husband for a massage instead? You literally refused to forgive your dead dad for YEARS because he cheated but you decided your boss gets a pass because somehow the patriarchy is at fault here????? It was honestly admirable how Lee made it seem like you were a misogynist incel if you held a woman accountable for her affair. She truly is meant for politics. Omg and don't get me started on when ole boss lady got up in front of reporters to address her entanglement and led with "As an engineer, I'm a big fan of logic." I may have only majored in communications but I fail to see the logic of cheating on your husband.
Like The Boyfriend Candidate, there were some good jokey-jokes in here and the writing was quite punchy at times. It really gave me early 2000s romcom vibes in some scenes. However, it was also relentlessly repetitive. A worm has a stronger spine than Ben does. The only reason they got back together was because Ben's self-respect was MIA. There's absolutely no reason to be THAT into Lee unless she had a serious blackmail file on you or could suck a golf ball through a garden hose (respectfully).
Lastly, I wanna say that the politics didn't bother me. A lot of reviewers hated it, but if you've read the blurb, you know what's up. What I hated was Lee's delulu ass (if you couldn't tell from this incoherent rant).
pros & cons
pros: funny at times
cons: Lee... come and catch these hands. So repetitive (how many times can Ben chase her as she storms away??), blaming the patriarchy for cheating on your husband is a new level of mental gymnastics so congrats, and because she was so heinous I have to say it again: LEE!!!!!!!
__
Check out my YouTube
April 5, 2022
It’s official: Ashley Winstead can write any genre, and I will gobble it up. Fool Me Once has everything romance readers will love, a messy protagonist, chemistry for days, spice, and laugh-out-loud moments.
Lee Stone is Director of Communications for a women-run electric car company. By day, she is the consummate professional, and by night, she is simply Stoner to her closest friends.
After having her heart broken time and again, Lee has sworn off committed relationships and is only looking to have fun.
Her delineated life gets upended when Ben, the last man who broke her heart, returns to Texas, and circumstances force the two to work together. Both are adamant that they are definitely over the other. Soon, the pair fall into their old habits of flirting and competing against each other.
I read and loved Ashley’s debut In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, so it’s no surprise that I enjoyed her romance debut just as much. Romance isn’t my go-to genre, but the wholly relatable characters and humour kept me glued to the story.
I liked that there was more to this story than only the romance. Lee’s friend group were her ride-or-dies and often lovingly called her out. I don’t usually enjoy politics when reading fiction, but they leaned left, which kept me rooting for Lee and Ben to get the job done.
So while there are elements of this novel that I wouldn’t typically go for, Ashley Winstead spins them all together in a fun and compulsively readable way. I will continue to read whatever she writes and cannot wait for her upcoming thriller.
Thank you to Graydon House for an arc provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
https://booksandwheels.com
Lee Stone is Director of Communications for a women-run electric car company. By day, she is the consummate professional, and by night, she is simply Stoner to her closest friends.
After having her heart broken time and again, Lee has sworn off committed relationships and is only looking to have fun.
Her delineated life gets upended when Ben, the last man who broke her heart, returns to Texas, and circumstances force the two to work together. Both are adamant that they are definitely over the other. Soon, the pair fall into their old habits of flirting and competing against each other.
I read and loved Ashley’s debut In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, so it’s no surprise that I enjoyed her romance debut just as much. Romance isn’t my go-to genre, but the wholly relatable characters and humour kept me glued to the story.
I liked that there was more to this story than only the romance. Lee’s friend group were her ride-or-dies and often lovingly called her out. I don’t usually enjoy politics when reading fiction, but they leaned left, which kept me rooting for Lee and Ben to get the job done.
So while there are elements of this novel that I wouldn’t typically go for, Ashley Winstead spins them all together in a fun and compulsively readable way. I will continue to read whatever she writes and cannot wait for her upcoming thriller.
Thank you to Graydon House for an arc provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
https://booksandwheels.com
November 29, 2024
absolutely boggled as to how this constitutes a romance
May 24, 2025
if i could give this ZERO stars i would. i've never read a more insufferable main character
dnf
April 19, 202250% DNF
Why is there so much cheating in this "romance"? I am not against reading about cheating people, and it's not a trigger for me in any way. But this is a romance, and apparently I can't:
1) get behind a second chance romance where past cheating is never addressed head-on, and thoughtfully, and amends are made
2) enjoy a rekindling of an old romance via popular tropes like "there is only one bed" while one person in this couple is currently in a relationship with someone else!
It's like cheating wrapped up in cheating with cheating poured all over it, and everyone is forgiven, and reading this made me physically sick at one point.
I like Winstead's writing, however I just can't get past this. If I read a romance, I need to like the people, and I hate these two. Lee needs therapy, and so does Ben, because why is he back with her? These people DO NOT need to be together.
P.S. Just for a frame of reference, in the "We were on a break!!!" debacle, I am Team Rachel all the way. So maybe if you are not, then this is a book for you?
Why is there so much cheating in this "romance"? I am not against reading about cheating people, and it's not a trigger for me in any way. But this is a romance, and apparently I can't:
1) get behind a second chance romance where past cheating is never addressed head-on, and thoughtfully, and amends are made
2) enjoy a rekindling of an old romance via popular tropes like "there is only one bed" while one person in this couple is currently in a relationship with someone else!
It's like cheating wrapped up in cheating with cheating poured all over it, and everyone is forgiven, and reading this made me physically sick at one point.
I like Winstead's writing, however I just can't get past this. If I read a romance, I need to like the people, and I hate these two. Lee needs therapy, and so does Ben, because why is he back with her? These people DO NOT need to be together.
P.S. Just for a frame of reference, in the "We were on a break!!!" debacle, I am Team Rachel all the way. So maybe if you are not, then this is a book for you?
March 25, 2023
I've read hundreds of pages, spent countless hours reading, hardly ever have I suffered the way I was suffering with this book. I would never recommend this to my worst enemy, let alone a person I care about. Yeah... I have nothing nice to say so I'm just gonna keep saying nothing.
June 20, 2022
lee stone, you will always be famous! i absolutely loved this book. it was really good, imagine my surprise when i looked up the reviews and saw people didn’t really like lee, i thought she was hilarious. i love that Ben always calls her stoner it’s like the last name trope plus nickname trope? AND this book was kinda messy. i love tea, i love drama and this book gave just that! ashley winstead you fucking genius.
May 7, 2022
Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead
Lee Stone doesn’t believe in permanent love and has trust issues. She does believe in the car company she works for and the Green Air political bill. When her college boyfriend comes back into her life to work on the campaign with her, she’s not sure how to handle it.
I admire the drive Lee has to make the world a different and better place. But her trust issues destroyed so much time and time again. Ben loves her. She broke his heart back in college but he can’t help himself from falling in love with her again.
For me, there were too many up and downs, rejections and lack of trust. If you like angst, this may be for you.
All did turn out in the end so a win for the HEA.
Lee Stone doesn’t believe in permanent love and has trust issues. She does believe in the car company she works for and the Green Air political bill. When her college boyfriend comes back into her life to work on the campaign with her, she’s not sure how to handle it.
I admire the drive Lee has to make the world a different and better place. But her trust issues destroyed so much time and time again. Ben loves her. She broke his heart back in college but he can’t help himself from falling in love with her again.
For me, there were too many up and downs, rejections and lack of trust. If you like angst, this may be for you.
All did turn out in the end so a win for the HEA.
February 25, 2022
4.5 rounded to 5 for goodreads!
i loveeeeedddd this story. so pleasantly surprised by it too. thought going in that it was an enemies to lovers trope which is my least favorite, but i think it’s more second chance trope which is my FAVE.
Ben was everything. landed in my fave book bf’s for suuuure. some things prevented it from being 5 (too many cheating plots, seemed unrealistic for EVERYONE to have one, wish there was a 2-3 year break vs. 5 years to make it more realistic, etc) but didn’t mind too much or take away from loving the story.
full review to come on my IG! this is going to be the perfect spring romance.
thanks so much to Graydonhouse for the gifted ARC and goodreads for the second copy via giveaway win!! :)
i loveeeeedddd this story. so pleasantly surprised by it too. thought going in that it was an enemies to lovers trope which is my least favorite, but i think it’s more second chance trope which is my FAVE.
Ben was everything. landed in my fave book bf’s for suuuure. some things prevented it from being 5 (too many cheating plots, seemed unrealistic for EVERYONE to have one, wish there was a 2-3 year break vs. 5 years to make it more realistic, etc) but didn’t mind too much or take away from loving the story.
full review to come on my IG! this is going to be the perfect spring romance.
thanks so much to Graydonhouse for the gifted ARC and goodreads for the second copy via giveaway win!! :)
April 7, 2022
Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead is a contemporary romance or romantic comedy to be exact. The romance trope that is included in Fool Me Once is a bit of a enemies to lovers mixed with a second chance romance as the relationship previously didn’t end on good terms.
Lee Stone always pictured herself going into politics but circumstances have her working for Lize Motors as their director of communications instead. However, Lee is excited to be trying to pass the Green Machine bill her company is trying to implement for their electric vehicles.
When Lee’s boss tells Lee that she will be working with the Governor’s assistant she never expected for that assistant to be Ben Laderman. Ben was Lee’s fourth heartbreak in life when things between them went south and Ben moved from Texas to California leaving Lee behind and Lee has no idea how she’s supposed to work day to day with Ben.
First, I will admit I usually try to avoid books that involve politics and didn’t notice that was a big part of this storyline but thankfully I still ended at four stars for this one. What won me over even though it wasn’t one of my favorite settings was the story was really humorous and had me laughing right away. Buried under that though was real feelings and character growth that I also enjoyed and despite the political setting I really found myself enjoying the story and characters and even rooting for their success in not only their lives but their love.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Lee Stone always pictured herself going into politics but circumstances have her working for Lize Motors as their director of communications instead. However, Lee is excited to be trying to pass the Green Machine bill her company is trying to implement for their electric vehicles.
When Lee’s boss tells Lee that she will be working with the Governor’s assistant she never expected for that assistant to be Ben Laderman. Ben was Lee’s fourth heartbreak in life when things between them went south and Ben moved from Texas to California leaving Lee behind and Lee has no idea how she’s supposed to work day to day with Ben.
First, I will admit I usually try to avoid books that involve politics and didn’t notice that was a big part of this storyline but thankfully I still ended at four stars for this one. What won me over even though it wasn’t one of my favorite settings was the story was really humorous and had me laughing right away. Buried under that though was real feelings and character growth that I also enjoyed and despite the political setting I really found myself enjoying the story and characters and even rooting for their success in not only their lives but their love.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
December 2, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House for the ARC.
1 star. I'm really sad to be rating this book so low especially since I was very excited going into it.
Fool Me Once is a second chance romance story with the "forced to work together" trope. The cover is absolutely gorgeous and the blurb left me very intrigued as well, however after reading it I am left quite disappointed.
Lee "Stoner" Stone is our main character for this story and to say that I struggled to connect with her would be an understatement. I didn't really understand why she acted like she did, especially for a woman who is 29 years old. I couldn't get past how she treated her ex-boyfriend/ love interest, Ben, and I don't know why he would still have feelings for her after all that she did to him. There wasn't enough groveling to make up for what happened between them nor accountability on Lee's part. In their past relationship, there was a clear lack of communication/ trust and overall it was not a healthy one. Their present-day relationship wasn't much better in my opinion.
There are multiple times in the book where Lee pins the blame on other people and plays the victim when she's simply not. I found that there were a lot of moments of hypocrisy with her character, and in the end, I think that there was minimal-no character development.
Overall, I would not be recommending this book because the main character was just not it. I think that this book definitely had a lot of potential, but that it went wrong in the most crucial places which drove the rating lower and lower.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: April 5, 2022
Additional Information (Slight spoilers)
Spice? Vague spice
Cheating? Yes
OW/OM? Yes (but is resolved quickly)
HEA? Yes
Condensed review to be posted to Indigo.ca
1 star. I'm really sad to be rating this book so low especially since I was very excited going into it.
Fool Me Once is a second chance romance story with the "forced to work together" trope. The cover is absolutely gorgeous and the blurb left me very intrigued as well, however after reading it I am left quite disappointed.
Lee "Stoner" Stone is our main character for this story and to say that I struggled to connect with her would be an understatement. I didn't really understand why she acted like she did, especially for a woman who is 29 years old. I couldn't get past how she treated her ex-boyfriend/ love interest, Ben, and I don't know why he would still have feelings for her after all that she did to him. There wasn't enough groveling to make up for what happened between them nor accountability on Lee's part. In their past relationship, there was a clear lack of communication/ trust and overall it was not a healthy one. Their present-day relationship wasn't much better in my opinion.
There are multiple times in the book where Lee pins the blame on other people and plays the victim when she's simply not. I found that there were a lot of moments of hypocrisy with her character, and in the end, I think that there was minimal-no character development.
Overall, I would not be recommending this book because the main character was just not it. I think that this book definitely had a lot of potential, but that it went wrong in the most crucial places which drove the rating lower and lower.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: April 5, 2022
Additional Information (Slight spoilers)
Spice? Vague spice
Cheating? Yes
OW/OM? Yes (but is resolved quickly)
HEA? Yes
Condensed review to be posted to Indigo.ca
April 10, 2022
Look, the concept of this book drew me in. But it is riddled with issues I couldn’t get past.
1. Lee is perhaps the most unlikable and immature protagonist in a romance I have read in a LONG time. I never found myself rooting for her, especially after she continued to make stupid choices and act a victim.
2. I’m all about suspending disbelief but the villain tropes coupled with the “viral” nature of every aspect of this book was so utterly unrealistic. Perhaps a spoiler for the ending but there is absolutely no fucking way this woman would win an election.
3. This book was way too long. It just kept going and going.
4. This book does a lot of telling and not showing. I felt Lee’s issues with love and past with Ben were beaten to death and the way characters were introduced was hard to follow
1. Lee is perhaps the most unlikable and immature protagonist in a romance I have read in a LONG time. I never found myself rooting for her, especially after she continued to make stupid choices and act a victim.
2. I’m all about suspending disbelief but the villain tropes coupled with the “viral” nature of every aspect of this book was so utterly unrealistic. Perhaps a spoiler for the ending but there is absolutely no fucking way this woman would win an election.
3. This book was way too long. It just kept going and going.
4. This book does a lot of telling and not showing. I felt Lee’s issues with love and past with Ben were beaten to death and the way characters were introduced was hard to follow
April 1, 2022
How do you not fall for a book that starts with its main character, Lee Stone, sneaking out of a man’s hotel room after a Disney-themed wedding at Disney World, dressed as Belle? Running through the theme park to get to her hotel, she’s stopped by children hoping to meet their favorite Beauty and the Beast character. But Lee has to get home to Texas and back to work.
Lee (“Stoner” to her friends) works hard and plays hard. She’s sharp and smart in her job and is a hot mess in her personal life. Through too many disappointments, Lee does not believe in true love and happy endings. She’s the communications director of Lise Motors, a female-run electric car company. Lee is the force behind getting a green energy bill enacted which would replace Texas state vehicles with electric cars. The governor is onboard and hires Ben Laderman to work with Lee and the Lise team. Could it be the same Ben Laderman who was Lee’s fourth and last major heartbreak five years ago? Of course it is and the two have to work together. Ben has moved on and Lee has since avoided any real intimacy, choosing meaningless hookups.
Author Winstead has created in Lee a flawed character who is fooling herself that she is truly over Ben. As their professional relationship develops, the two have to navigate their complicated feelings for one another. As the two experience a rollercoaster of emotions, they have to also deal with the challenges of Texas politics. Fool Me Once has humor and romance. There’s heartache and loss. And there’s a wonderful group of supporting characters including great friends and family who help Lee through it all. It's a very appealing book.
This is the same author who wrote last summer’s exceptional mystery/thriller, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, which was a 2021 favorite of mine and quite an impressive debut. Fool Me Once reinforces Winstead’s writing talent and this book demonstrates her ability to deliver in multiple genres. Quite a feat. Don't pass this one by.
Many thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing / Graydon House Books and Ashley Winstead for the opportunity to read this enjoyable book in advance of its April 5, 2022 publication.
And for all you thriller fans out there, Ms. Winstead has a dark mystery coming out in August. I can’t wait.
Rated 4.5 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
Lee (“Stoner” to her friends) works hard and plays hard. She’s sharp and smart in her job and is a hot mess in her personal life. Through too many disappointments, Lee does not believe in true love and happy endings. She’s the communications director of Lise Motors, a female-run electric car company. Lee is the force behind getting a green energy bill enacted which would replace Texas state vehicles with electric cars. The governor is onboard and hires Ben Laderman to work with Lee and the Lise team. Could it be the same Ben Laderman who was Lee’s fourth and last major heartbreak five years ago? Of course it is and the two have to work together. Ben has moved on and Lee has since avoided any real intimacy, choosing meaningless hookups.
Author Winstead has created in Lee a flawed character who is fooling herself that she is truly over Ben. As their professional relationship develops, the two have to navigate their complicated feelings for one another. As the two experience a rollercoaster of emotions, they have to also deal with the challenges of Texas politics. Fool Me Once has humor and romance. There’s heartache and loss. And there’s a wonderful group of supporting characters including great friends and family who help Lee through it all. It's a very appealing book.
This is the same author who wrote last summer’s exceptional mystery/thriller, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, which was a 2021 favorite of mine and quite an impressive debut. Fool Me Once reinforces Winstead’s writing talent and this book demonstrates her ability to deliver in multiple genres. Quite a feat. Don't pass this one by.
Many thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing / Graydon House Books and Ashley Winstead for the opportunity to read this enjoyable book in advance of its April 5, 2022 publication.
And for all you thriller fans out there, Ms. Winstead has a dark mystery coming out in August. I can’t wait.
Rated 4.5 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
July 25, 2022
I really thought I was going to give this at least 4 stars when I first got into it. It started out pretty funny and I liked that the main character, Lee, was imperfect. Towards the end of the book, miss girl was just annoying the fuck out of me. I usually find myself saying that the male love interest in a romance book is the one that needs therapy, but Lee needed to go to one immediately. I was ready to logon to her health insurance portal and find one with a good copay for her myself. I found it so confusing as to why Ashley Winstead wouldn't write Lee going to therapy into the plot. There's multiple times where she admits she has some emotional problems but instead of having her work it out in a way that doesn't put the burden on everyone else, we see her turning to substance abuse and avoiding her problems in a hurtful way. Her self preservation really was too much. There's a section of the book where she and the love interest are apart for a bit and I was really hoping she'd figure her shit out with a professional while he was gone.
Also, cheating seems to be a thing that Ashley Winstead likes to explore - it was both in this book and in her thriller from last year. I didn't mind the cheating in In My Dreams I Hold A Knife because it was a dark and gritty thriller where the characters were actively meant to be bad people. In this book, the stance was a little odd because it felt like she wanted us all to get on board with thinking cheating is just a mistake some people make sometimes. The book almost seemed divisive on the topic because out of the four different characters that were cheaters only one was vilified. It was just an odd take overall. I also think cheating in general can be a hard sell in romance because most people do not like to read about cheating.
I also didn't particularly like the political setting of this book. It's just not my preferred plot for a romance book. I could've overlooked this if it weren't for the other stuff.
I actually started writing this review with 3 stars selected but I think I've convinced myself to lower it to a 2. It's really a shame because it started off strong and there was a lot of stuff I really liked about this and I really liked the dialogue and the love interest. I think this book mostly left me disappointed because I expect so much more from Ashley Winstead since I loved her debut so much. I am glad I have another thriller to read from her this year.
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Also, cheating seems to be a thing that Ashley Winstead likes to explore - it was both in this book and in her thriller from last year. I didn't mind the cheating in In My Dreams I Hold A Knife because it was a dark and gritty thriller where the characters were actively meant to be bad people. In this book, the stance was a little odd because it felt like she wanted us all to get on board with thinking cheating is just a mistake some people make sometimes. The book almost seemed divisive on the topic because out of the four different characters that were cheaters only one was vilified. It was just an odd take overall. I also think cheating in general can be a hard sell in romance because most people do not like to read about cheating.
I also didn't particularly like the political setting of this book. It's just not my preferred plot for a romance book. I could've overlooked this if it weren't for the other stuff.
I actually started writing this review with 3 stars selected but I think I've convinced myself to lower it to a 2. It's really a shame because it started off strong and there was a lot of stuff I really liked about this and I really liked the dialogue and the love interest. I think this book mostly left me disappointed because I expect so much more from Ashley Winstead since I loved her debut so much. I am glad I have another thriller to read from her this year.
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June 22, 2022
Well, this was not very good.
I love many books where main characters are very unlikable, actually many of my favorite characters are absolute jerks. But that rule does not hold up when it comes to romance. Few things are less appealing than reading about people you dislike experiencing great love, or even simply having great sex. The only thing worse than bad people having great love and great sex is one vile person having all that with someone who is wonderful. That is what is going on in Fool Me Once. The male love interest, Ben, is a perfect 21st century feminist progressive lawyer prince with great hair and biological and learned sexual prowess. That's the dream and he is dreamy. Lee, the female love interest is stunted and awful in every way. And she treats the male lead like dirt. Worse yet, she does so while acting like no person has ever acted. She is just such a poorly drawn character. All this is explained by the fact she never got over her parent's divorce like 15 years ago. Lord, who knows what would happen if she ever faced any real adversity.
The only other character we even get to know is Lee's sister Alex, and she is just terrible. (She reminded me of a cross between Amy Adams' character in The Wedding Date and Malin Akerman's character in 27 Dresses -- which is to say the worst characters in the worst rom-coms.) Every other side character was a parody of a southern politician or oilman or was like those CGI backgrounds where there are people-like shapes to indicate a crowd but you can't make out any physical details of any of the computer generated people. (This includes friends, family and co-workers of both leads.)
The story was ludicrous and revolved around turning Texas into the most progressive state on moving toward elimination of the use of fossil fuels (I am all for fantasy in my romance, but come the hell on!) People are shocked when oilmen buy off politicians and also just when people are mean. The whole is so silly and stupid and badly crafted. It gets two stars only because the author wrote Ben, and Ben was ridiculous in a good way. Just no.
I love many books where main characters are very unlikable, actually many of my favorite characters are absolute jerks. But that rule does not hold up when it comes to romance. Few things are less appealing than reading about people you dislike experiencing great love, or even simply having great sex. The only thing worse than bad people having great love and great sex is one vile person having all that with someone who is wonderful. That is what is going on in Fool Me Once. The male love interest, Ben, is a perfect 21st century feminist progressive lawyer prince with great hair and biological and learned sexual prowess. That's the dream and he is dreamy. Lee, the female love interest is stunted and awful in every way. And she treats the male lead like dirt. Worse yet, she does so while acting like no person has ever acted. She is just such a poorly drawn character. All this is explained by the fact she never got over her parent's divorce like 15 years ago. Lord, who knows what would happen if she ever faced any real adversity.
The only other character we even get to know is Lee's sister Alex, and she is just terrible. (She reminded me of a cross between Amy Adams' character in The Wedding Date and Malin Akerman's character in 27 Dresses -- which is to say the worst characters in the worst rom-coms.) Every other side character was a parody of a southern politician or oilman or was like those CGI backgrounds where there are people-like shapes to indicate a crowd but you can't make out any physical details of any of the computer generated people. (This includes friends, family and co-workers of both leads.)
The story was ludicrous and revolved around turning Texas into the most progressive state on moving toward elimination of the use of fossil fuels (I am all for fantasy in my romance, but come the hell on!) People are shocked when oilmen buy off politicians and also just when people are mean. The whole is so silly and stupid and badly crafted. It gets two stars only because the author wrote Ben, and Ben was ridiculous in a good way. Just no.
did-not-finish
April 23, 2022dnfing ~40% because the main character is so toxic i already know i won't be able to fathom how the hell Ben forgives her and they live happily ever after. unless it's part of the plot that Lee goes to therapy and works out her issues before entering another relationship, no thanks.
kind of shocked by all the 5 star reviews when there's so much cheating in this book tbh.
kind of shocked by all the 5 star reviews when there's so much cheating in this book tbh.
May 10, 2022
4.5/5 (rounded up)
The more I think about Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead, the more I like it, and I'm glad I waited a minute (ok a month) to write a review for it. The opening scene was absolute hilarity and nicely set the tone for what was to come in this refreshing romcom. I loved that each chapter title gave a little teaser of what was to come, and I really loved Lee as a character, despite her absolutely terrible reason for cheating on Ben. The chemistry between the two of them was fire, and I loved all the banter in this book. Not only between Lee and Ben, but between Lee and her friends as well who were absolute gems. Winstead's writing had a wonderful flow to it, and I swear we have the same sense of humor because I really got a kick out of this book.
And if you love audiobooks like me, you will definitely want to listen to this one. The narrator is Ann Marie Gideon and she was doggone perfect for the story and characters. When (not if) I do a reread of Fool Me Once I will definitely consider listening to it again, but you really can't go wrong either way. I still need to read Winstead's debut In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, and this made me think I really need to stop putting that off. I love how she went from thriller to romcom, and it is clear to me she can write anything. I loved how unique the premise was for this book and Lee was a boss, but all the characters felt flawed, real, and very relatable. If you are in the mood for something different with a touch of politics, I highly recommend checking out Fool Me Once.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The more I think about Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead, the more I like it, and I'm glad I waited a minute (ok a month) to write a review for it. The opening scene was absolute hilarity and nicely set the tone for what was to come in this refreshing romcom. I loved that each chapter title gave a little teaser of what was to come, and I really loved Lee as a character, despite her absolutely terrible reason for cheating on Ben. The chemistry between the two of them was fire, and I loved all the banter in this book. Not only between Lee and Ben, but between Lee and her friends as well who were absolute gems. Winstead's writing had a wonderful flow to it, and I swear we have the same sense of humor because I really got a kick out of this book.
And if you love audiobooks like me, you will definitely want to listen to this one. The narrator is Ann Marie Gideon and she was doggone perfect for the story and characters. When (not if) I do a reread of Fool Me Once I will definitely consider listening to it again, but you really can't go wrong either way. I still need to read Winstead's debut In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, and this made me think I really need to stop putting that off. I love how she went from thriller to romcom, and it is clear to me she can write anything. I loved how unique the premise was for this book and Lee was a boss, but all the characters felt flawed, real, and very relatable. If you are in the mood for something different with a touch of politics, I highly recommend checking out Fool Me Once.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
January 15, 2022
love love LOVE Fool Me Once!
I bow down to Ashley Winstead who can not only write good thrillers but slay us romance lovers with fun banter, an enemies to lover trope, and relatable characters that jump off the page in her latest rom com debuting April 2022.
Lee Stone doesn't believe in love. She's been burned many a times with cheating and has suffered four major heartbreaks that have her set her straight when it comes to romance. Despite her messy romantic life, Lee is thriving as the communications director for popular electric vehicle manufacturer that is sponsoring a bill to turn Texas green and its success is sure to set her up for a VP position. However, the governor's new policy director and the only man standing in the Lee and her dreams is none other than Lee's Heartbreaker #4. DUN DUN DUNNNNN. Talk about drama...
Fool Me Once is truly such an enjoyable read. It is a fun, relatable second chance romance with a plot and good laughs to keep you going.
Lee Stone is a flawed main character, who for her actions can easily be written off. You want to shake her a bit and tell her to get her life together. She's not perfect, but she's relatable. We've all been her or been friends with someone like her, which makes you want to root for her despite her terrible way of handling things.
She's messy, but so is life. Winstead does a great job of showing that life is not all black and white. There's a lot of grey when it comes to love, cheating, grief, and relationships. And often times, we're the only ones standing in the way of our own happiness.
Along with great side characters, light political drama, and some spice that'll make you blush, the depth this rom com offers is one of the reasons it's easily 5 stars and one to read in 2022!
Run, don't walk to read this one!
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for sharing an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
I bow down to Ashley Winstead who can not only write good thrillers but slay us romance lovers with fun banter, an enemies to lover trope, and relatable characters that jump off the page in her latest rom com debuting April 2022.
Lee Stone doesn't believe in love. She's been burned many a times with cheating and has suffered four major heartbreaks that have her set her straight when it comes to romance. Despite her messy romantic life, Lee is thriving as the communications director for popular electric vehicle manufacturer that is sponsoring a bill to turn Texas green and its success is sure to set her up for a VP position. However, the governor's new policy director and the only man standing in the Lee and her dreams is none other than Lee's Heartbreaker #4. DUN DUN DUNNNNN. Talk about drama...
Fool Me Once is truly such an enjoyable read. It is a fun, relatable second chance romance with a plot and good laughs to keep you going.
Lee Stone is a flawed main character, who for her actions can easily be written off. You want to shake her a bit and tell her to get her life together. She's not perfect, but she's relatable. We've all been her or been friends with someone like her, which makes you want to root for her despite her terrible way of handling things.
She's messy, but so is life. Winstead does a great job of showing that life is not all black and white. There's a lot of grey when it comes to love, cheating, grief, and relationships. And often times, we're the only ones standing in the way of our own happiness.
Along with great side characters, light political drama, and some spice that'll make you blush, the depth this rom com offers is one of the reasons it's easily 5 stars and one to read in 2022!
Run, don't walk to read this one!
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for sharing an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
May 12, 2022
I do not give a fuck if she has daddy issues. Cheating on your boyfriend because you think he will cheat on you in the future WTF??? is beyond any justification. Such characters only make me feel disgusted.
DNF.
March 27, 2022
Lee Stone works as director of communications at Lise Motors, the first female-led electric vehicle company. She idolizes its founder and has big dreams for electric vehicles in her home state of Texas. She's known to her friends as "Stoner," thanks to her partying ways and her inability to commit. Thanks to her father cheating on her mother while Lee was in high school--and a string of bad relationships since--Lee's mantra is not to trust men and never get serious. The one time she felt she truly liked someone, Ben Laderman in grad school, she was convinced he was cheating and so cheated on him--he fled to California and she's never dated seriously again. But now Ben is back, working for the governor of Texas, and the one person Lee has to make nice with to get her passion project passed: a clean energy bill that would have Texas using electric vehicles throughout the Government. Soon Lee and Ben are back to their competitive ways, but it seems like sparks are flying as well.
"The past I thought I closed was coming back to haunt me. Ben Laderman, my greatest mistake--the one person in the world who'd seen me at my worst, who'd seen the real me, who I'd thought I'd really, truly loved--was coming back."
FOOL ME ONCE is a cute read, filled with lots of romantic tension and sparks. I honestly liked a lot of the politics and drama more than some of the romance, though in this day and age, it was hard to imagine Texas even touching the thought of going green. Lee, especially her "Stoner" personality, was a little hard to like and sympathize with. She took the"can't trust or believe in love" trope to extremes and at times, I just wanted to shake her. There was a little too much unwillingness to commit and a lot of back and forth on her part. At times, I just felt bad for Ben. He's incredibly easy to like and while he may take their competitiveness a bit too far, he usually got my vote in most of their arguments.
Still, as Lee and Ben cross Texas trying to drum up support for their bill, there are lots of comedic moments and plenty of romance and silliness. There are tender and touching bits too and some serious topics as they work to save the environment and make the future better. I enjoyed an appearance by a grizzled advisor to one of the senators and some of Lee's friends. There's a good cast of characters here and some surprising drama behind the scenes. (This is politics after all.)
If you like political dramas or Parks and Rec, this one is for you. It's funny with lots of political (and romantic) tension. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 here.
I received a copy of this book from Harlequin Trade Publishing / Graydon House and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
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"The past I thought I closed was coming back to haunt me. Ben Laderman, my greatest mistake--the one person in the world who'd seen me at my worst, who'd seen the real me, who I'd thought I'd really, truly loved--was coming back."
FOOL ME ONCE is a cute read, filled with lots of romantic tension and sparks. I honestly liked a lot of the politics and drama more than some of the romance, though in this day and age, it was hard to imagine Texas even touching the thought of going green. Lee, especially her "Stoner" personality, was a little hard to like and sympathize with. She took the"can't trust or believe in love" trope to extremes and at times, I just wanted to shake her. There was a little too much unwillingness to commit and a lot of back and forth on her part. At times, I just felt bad for Ben. He's incredibly easy to like and while he may take their competitiveness a bit too far, he usually got my vote in most of their arguments.
Still, as Lee and Ben cross Texas trying to drum up support for their bill, there are lots of comedic moments and plenty of romance and silliness. There are tender and touching bits too and some serious topics as they work to save the environment and make the future better. I enjoyed an appearance by a grizzled advisor to one of the senators and some of Lee's friends. There's a good cast of characters here and some surprising drama behind the scenes. (This is politics after all.)
If you like political dramas or Parks and Rec, this one is for you. It's funny with lots of political (and romantic) tension. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 here.
I received a copy of this book from Harlequin Trade Publishing / Graydon House and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Smashbomb ~ Instagram
April 11, 2022
🌟 Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Genre: Romance
✍🏼 Author: Ashley Winstead
😭💰Emotional Investment: Too much 😭
🔥🔥🔥 Several open door scenes
📚 Read if: You liked Meet You in the Middle; are a fan of second chance love or enemies to lovers tropes
Lee Stone (aka “Stoner”), the perpetual college party girl, is determined to make VP of public affairs at the cutting edge, female owned electric car manufacturer she works for. To do so, she must ensure the bill she’s worked on, the Green Machine, passes the Texas legislature and is implemented. Enter new Gubernatorial staffer Ben Laderman, her former college love/turned nemesis who she must work with in order get said bill passed.
Unlike most of the Goodreads/Bookstagram population, I had not read Ashley Winstead’s debut novel, “In My Dreams I Hold a Knife”, so I didn’t have the familiarity with her as an author of thrillers. Regardless, she pretty much blew it out of the water with her debut Romance novel “Fool Me Once”.
I thought it was such an interesting concept to have the back drop include a major policy shift towards climate change action and the push for electric cars in government occur in a more conservative state. I don’t follow local politics much, so it was kind of fun to see the inner workings of local government and the role of lobbying (especially coming off of The Golden Couple…ifkyk).
I absolutely adored Ben in every way, shape or form. He is pretty much the epitome of the dream man/book boyfriend and I loved every scene he was in. Lee was a completely flawed character who showed an exceptional amount of growth from start to end, and I love the determination and independence she had once she made the decision to confront her issues head on.
Again, my stance is that in order for there to be any kind of quality writing, you need to feel at least a modicum of emotional investment in the characters and their relationships. This one was pretty much off the charts for me. I felt so personally invested in Ben and Lee and in Lee’s relationship with herself, that I was going to have a bit of a conniption if things didn’t work out how I wanted them to. Rest assured, all was well.
Highly, highly recommend this one and I’ll be reading “In My Dreams I Hold A Knife” very soon.
📖 Genre: Romance
✍🏼 Author: Ashley Winstead
😭💰Emotional Investment: Too much 😭
🔥🔥🔥 Several open door scenes
📚 Read if: You liked Meet You in the Middle; are a fan of second chance love or enemies to lovers tropes
Lee Stone (aka “Stoner”), the perpetual college party girl, is determined to make VP of public affairs at the cutting edge, female owned electric car manufacturer she works for. To do so, she must ensure the bill she’s worked on, the Green Machine, passes the Texas legislature and is implemented. Enter new Gubernatorial staffer Ben Laderman, her former college love/turned nemesis who she must work with in order get said bill passed.
Unlike most of the Goodreads/Bookstagram population, I had not read Ashley Winstead’s debut novel, “In My Dreams I Hold a Knife”, so I didn’t have the familiarity with her as an author of thrillers. Regardless, she pretty much blew it out of the water with her debut Romance novel “Fool Me Once”.
I thought it was such an interesting concept to have the back drop include a major policy shift towards climate change action and the push for electric cars in government occur in a more conservative state. I don’t follow local politics much, so it was kind of fun to see the inner workings of local government and the role of lobbying (especially coming off of The Golden Couple…ifkyk).
I absolutely adored Ben in every way, shape or form. He is pretty much the epitome of the dream man/book boyfriend and I loved every scene he was in. Lee was a completely flawed character who showed an exceptional amount of growth from start to end, and I love the determination and independence she had once she made the decision to confront her issues head on.
Again, my stance is that in order for there to be any kind of quality writing, you need to feel at least a modicum of emotional investment in the characters and their relationships. This one was pretty much off the charts for me. I felt so personally invested in Ben and Lee and in Lee’s relationship with herself, that I was going to have a bit of a conniption if things didn’t work out how I wanted them to. Rest assured, all was well.
Highly, highly recommend this one and I’ll be reading “In My Dreams I Hold A Knife” very soon.
May 23, 2023
I seem to be giving a lot of three star ratings lately. This was another read that was not totally amazing, but not necessarily terrible either. I think what saved this book for me was the fact that I was already familiar with our main characters from reading Winstead’s newest book, The Boyfriend Candidate. I accidentally read the two books “backwards;” although not labeled as a series, the characters repeat. As such, I already knew that Lee and Ben were a fierce power couple, but the story of how they ended up together? Eh, not as great. The on-again, off-again antics became quite annoying after a while, and in this book, Ben seemed way too good for Lee. It was cool to read about her rise to the top in Texas politics, though. While this book won’t be a staple in my Winstead collection, I’ll continue to shout from the rooftops about The Boyfriend Candidate and how wonderful Lee’s sister’s love story is.
April 22, 2022
2.75 stars
This book is a lot, but it would have benefited from being perhaps 50 to 100 pages shorter. We followed Lee Stone, a girl who after her Four Major Heartbreaks has given up on finding true love and instead only lives on flings with no emotional attachment. In fact, it was her last heartbreak that pushed her over the edge but that time she was the "bad guy". Now, as she attempts to pass a bill for greener energy in Texas, she is forced to work with the most unexpected individual. Turns out the governors new employee is her ex: Ben Laderman aka that last heartbreak. From there the book takes on a dual narrative where on one hand we follow the love story between Lee and Ben and on the other hand we have this plot of the two of them trying to get this bill passed. This is a romance that I thought would work for me because there's more than just a romantic self, but the latter half of the book was so convoluted and repetitive I ended up rolling my eyes a lot.
Honestly, the beginning was really good. Did we get hints of what I like to term "overly quirky language", sure, but it wasn't overbearing and it worked with the tone of the narrator. Lee definitely doesn't take herself very seriously (I mean her nickname is Stoner) thus the over the top quirkiness sometimes is thrown in for *spice* but it's self aware so it's not too distracting. I thought the set up of Lee's past influencing her future, in all her characterisation is quite Freudian, was a realistic approach. Did I love the info dumps? Not really. Especially since the same things were then repeated at least three times later in the book in more detail and in a better fashion. Nevertheless, by chapter 3/4 you have a good idea of who this character is and what her internal versus external conflict will be and how they coincide. We love to see it. The politics were also heavily featured and we quickly come to understand Lee's perspectives and morals which was central to caring for the politics plot line. So, as a character, I thought Lee was handled well if not a bit overly overtly.
The romance was fine but it didn't have that magical element that are the romances that I've read had. In The Brown Sisters latter half of the book things get very repetitive. The author loves writing scenes where one person storms out of the room and the other runs after them to have a dramatic conversation. I swear this happened at least six times in this book. Other than that we had the same beats of Lee messing up the relationship a few too many times for my taste. Like I understand that the point is that she has these worries ingrained in her because of her childhood trauma regarding her father but it was just a few too many times; at least we could've had these scenes be shorter. This prolonged the "will they, won't they" but in a really annoying way. They were also things with bands other love interest that kind of got on my nerves. She honestly felt like a throwaway character that was there just for the drama. We could've done without her, she was kind of useless. She essentially serves one important function (the run) but that could've been done through the fact that Ben's brother is a medic so… What was the point? By the end it was just annoying.
Everything I'd like to talk about is the absolute shxt-show that politics storyline turns into. Almost as if the author was trying to show how clever they were or maybe they just wanted to throw in more drama for the sake of drama but it didn't work. Every character in the story gives up on their morals, becomes a cheater, or both. Do you know how usually there is one third of conflict that is resolved in like 10 pages and no one likes it? This happens in this book like four times. FOUR TIMES! It was ridiculous. It made reading it so exhausting. I must say though that chapter 27 was hilarious and a much-needed reprieve.
Fool Me Once ended up being a story that I could've loved but it became too "clever" for its own good. It kind of sucks because I did really enjoy the first half.
This book is a lot, but it would have benefited from being perhaps 50 to 100 pages shorter. We followed Lee Stone, a girl who after her Four Major Heartbreaks has given up on finding true love and instead only lives on flings with no emotional attachment. In fact, it was her last heartbreak that pushed her over the edge but that time she was the "bad guy". Now, as she attempts to pass a bill for greener energy in Texas, she is forced to work with the most unexpected individual. Turns out the governors new employee is her ex: Ben Laderman aka that last heartbreak. From there the book takes on a dual narrative where on one hand we follow the love story between Lee and Ben and on the other hand we have this plot of the two of them trying to get this bill passed. This is a romance that I thought would work for me because there's more than just a romantic self, but the latter half of the book was so convoluted and repetitive I ended up rolling my eyes a lot.
Honestly, the beginning was really good. Did we get hints of what I like to term "overly quirky language", sure, but it wasn't overbearing and it worked with the tone of the narrator. Lee definitely doesn't take herself very seriously (I mean her nickname is Stoner) thus the over the top quirkiness sometimes is thrown in for *spice* but it's self aware so it's not too distracting. I thought the set up of Lee's past influencing her future, in all her characterisation is quite Freudian, was a realistic approach. Did I love the info dumps? Not really. Especially since the same things were then repeated at least three times later in the book in more detail and in a better fashion. Nevertheless, by chapter 3/4 you have a good idea of who this character is and what her internal versus external conflict will be and how they coincide. We love to see it. The politics were also heavily featured and we quickly come to understand Lee's perspectives and morals which was central to caring for the politics plot line. So, as a character, I thought Lee was handled well if not a bit overly overtly.
The romance was fine but it didn't have that magical element that are the romances that I've read had. In The Brown Sisters latter half of the book things get very repetitive. The author loves writing scenes where one person storms out of the room and the other runs after them to have a dramatic conversation. I swear this happened at least six times in this book. Other than that we had the same beats of Lee messing up the relationship a few too many times for my taste. Like I understand that the point is that she has these worries ingrained in her because of her childhood trauma regarding her father but it was just a few too many times; at least we could've had these scenes be shorter. This prolonged the "will they, won't they" but in a really annoying way. They were also things with bands other love interest that kind of got on my nerves. She honestly felt like a throwaway character that was there just for the drama. We could've done without her, she was kind of useless. She essentially serves one important function (the run) but that could've been done through the fact that Ben's brother is a medic so… What was the point? By the end it was just annoying.
Everything I'd like to talk about is the absolute shxt-show that politics storyline turns into. Almost as if the author was trying to show how clever they were or maybe they just wanted to throw in more drama for the sake of drama but it didn't work. Every character in the story gives up on their morals, becomes a cheater, or both. Do you know how usually there is one third of conflict that is resolved in like 10 pages and no one likes it? This happens in this book like four times. FOUR TIMES! It was ridiculous. It made reading it so exhausting. I must say though that chapter 27 was hilarious and a much-needed reprieve.
Fool Me Once ended up being a story that I could've loved but it became too "clever" for its own good. It kind of sucks because I did really enjoy the first half.
March 9, 2022
Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead is a second chance romance where the romance sizzles and delivers a lively story laced with environmental concerns. I loved these characters and was rooting for their happily ever after throughout the entire book.
Lee Stone is a communications director at a woman-owned electric car company similar to Tesla (but better!). She loves her job and is working on an energy initiative for the state of Texas to replace all the state-owned vehicles with all-electric vehicles, manufactured by her company. This would be a boon to her company, and also to the environment and help the state be less dependent on fossil fuels. Lee has always been unlucky in love and has decided to only have short-term affairs with men and never again let her heart be broken.
When she is tasked to meet the Texas Governor, she learns the Governor's new policy expert is her old boyfriend, Ben Laderman, who she hasn’t seen in five years. Can Lee and Ben work together on the policy without re-igniting the old flames?
Lee is brash, ambitious, and sometimes crass, but I loved how the author showed us her vulnerable side, and how she hides her emotions behind that bold exterior. And Ben is equally ambitious and so reluctant to allow himself to be hurt again. His pain in facing his old girlfriend was realistic and heartbreaking. You could see him warring with himself over his present feelings for Lee, and his need to defend himself from heartbreak.
I was immediately drawn into the story and enjoyed the journey with Ben and Lee. Although it was a political story, I didn’t feel like the author beat me over the head with politics.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a steamy, contemporary romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead is a second chance romance where the romance sizzles and delivers a lively story laced with environmental concerns. I loved these characters and was rooting for their happily ever after throughout the entire book.
Lee Stone is a communications director at a woman-owned electric car company similar to Tesla (but better!). She loves her job and is working on an energy initiative for the state of Texas to replace all the state-owned vehicles with all-electric vehicles, manufactured by her company. This would be a boon to her company, and also to the environment and help the state be less dependent on fossil fuels. Lee has always been unlucky in love and has decided to only have short-term affairs with men and never again let her heart be broken.
When she is tasked to meet the Texas Governor, she learns the Governor's new policy expert is her old boyfriend, Ben Laderman, who she hasn’t seen in five years. Can Lee and Ben work together on the policy without re-igniting the old flames?
Lee is brash, ambitious, and sometimes crass, but I loved how the author showed us her vulnerable side, and how she hides her emotions behind that bold exterior. And Ben is equally ambitious and so reluctant to allow himself to be hurt again. His pain in facing his old girlfriend was realistic and heartbreaking. You could see him warring with himself over his present feelings for Lee, and his need to defend himself from heartbreak.
I was immediately drawn into the story and enjoyed the journey with Ben and Lee. Although it was a political story, I didn’t feel like the author beat me over the head with politics.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a steamy, contemporary romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
May 13, 2022
4 Stars
Boy, was this heroine a mess. But she could make me laugh and there’s definitely some character growth. Ben was a graceful hero and even more amazing because he loved this messy woman after everything in their previous college life.
I did enjoy the story and I want to address reviews that harp about the “cheating.” Cheating was a secondary theme in this book, but just to be clear, there wasn’t any cheating between the hero and heroine after they were reintroduced into each other’s lives and attempting a second chance romance. The story did not glorify cheating but instead looked at forgiveness and redemption, as well as the double standard between men and women, especially those in the public eye.
I liked the romance and the witty banter, but as much as I would like to believe the overarching storyline that addressed a progressive change in Texas, that part read like pure fantasy.😆
dnf
April 23, 2022Dnf at 15%. The female protagonist is not for me. I enjoyed the authors previous work and will definitely be trying The Last Housewife. I think this is a case of just not my jam.
March 23, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK: Fool Me Once
AUTHOR: Ashley Winstead
FORMAT: eBook
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
PUB DATE: 4/5/22
RATING: 9/10
4.5 stars rounded up
Thank you so much @graydonhousebooks @netgalley and @ashleywinsteadbooks for my #gifted advanced copy of FOOL ME ONCE, out 4/5!
MY THOUGHTS
What a book!! This is Ashley’s romance debut after knocking it right out of the park with IN MY DREAMS I HOLD A KNIFE, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was incredible.
From the very start until the very end, I felt so connected to our MC Lee for a LOT of different reasons (was I the character inspo???), but it really deepened my feelings for this entire story. I found myself getting frustrated with her character, but her flaws were so intensely human that I couldn’t even blame her. The writing was phenomenal; the banter, the modern references, the contemporary style. It just worked really well. I have a soft spot for second chance romance so that was a given (more thoughts on this to come).
What really sealed the deal for me were the deep, raw themes that go beyond a traditional love story. This story touches upon loss & grief, trauma and heartbreak, unhealthy coping, sexism in the workplace (specifically politics), climate change, forgiveness and love. The ending was a grand slam and I had goosebumps for the last 15% of the book.
This one was a little bit long for me. I think that was in part to the side plots happening outside of the love story, and at times I did feel like it was a little bit wordy with a lot of detail, causing me to take a little longer than usual to really get into the story. I also felt that the love story was a reallllll slow burn in the sense that it felt like a game of phone tag where they just took a really long time to get on the same page. As for the side plots, I think that due to the phenomenal ending, it was worth the length it added to the book.
Ashley, I am in awe of you!! Thank you for creating a story that so deeply resonates with me, my experiences & my character traits. This was a special one🤍
BOOK: Fool Me Once
AUTHOR: Ashley Winstead
FORMAT: eBook
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
PUB DATE: 4/5/22
RATING: 9/10
4.5 stars rounded up
Thank you so much @graydonhousebooks @netgalley and @ashleywinsteadbooks for my #gifted advanced copy of FOOL ME ONCE, out 4/5!
MY THOUGHTS
What a book!! This is Ashley’s romance debut after knocking it right out of the park with IN MY DREAMS I HOLD A KNIFE, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was incredible.
From the very start until the very end, I felt so connected to our MC Lee for a LOT of different reasons (was I the character inspo???), but it really deepened my feelings for this entire story. I found myself getting frustrated with her character, but her flaws were so intensely human that I couldn’t even blame her. The writing was phenomenal; the banter, the modern references, the contemporary style. It just worked really well. I have a soft spot for second chance romance so that was a given (more thoughts on this to come).
What really sealed the deal for me were the deep, raw themes that go beyond a traditional love story. This story touches upon loss & grief, trauma and heartbreak, unhealthy coping, sexism in the workplace (specifically politics), climate change, forgiveness and love. The ending was a grand slam and I had goosebumps for the last 15% of the book.
This one was a little bit long for me. I think that was in part to the side plots happening outside of the love story, and at times I did feel like it was a little bit wordy with a lot of detail, causing me to take a little longer than usual to really get into the story. I also felt that the love story was a reallllll slow burn in the sense that it felt like a game of phone tag where they just took a really long time to get on the same page. As for the side plots, I think that due to the phenomenal ending, it was worth the length it added to the book.
Ashley, I am in awe of you!! Thank you for creating a story that so deeply resonates with me, my experiences & my character traits. This was a special one🤍
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