This was a fairly gritty, painful, second chance romance. We have former college sweethearts whose love when down in flames forced to work together five years later to push a climate change bill.

Let’s start with Stoner. What a fascinating complex character. She was lovable and made me cringe. She was messy and infuriating. I found her relatable and just couldn’t understand her at all sometimes. This made her very real for me. My heart broke for her pain but I loved as she explored who she was and eventually worked through her shit. She could be me. She has been me. I hope I’m never like her. 😂 Honestly I just loved her whole arc.

I loved the times Ben refused to put up with Stoner’s antics and called her out on her pulling away and self destructive behavior, but a few other times I felt he let her get away with a little too much.

This book started out rough for a lifelong Disney fan and is honestly just poor research. You can’t just run from a hotel room directly into a park without tickets and then be falling in a fountain in front of the castle. Come on. You can’t just reconstruct an iconic location to add more theatrics to a story. Ugh.

I’ll be honest, for about 85% of the novel the political parts were too much for me. I am just over politics and examined so closely and seeing all the behind the scenes pushing for bills just honestly brings out all the worst parts. I was cringing constantly and pissed off at the inevitable hypocrisy in politics. However, I did enjoy how the political aspect wrapped up and it felt empowering and hopeful. However, given the choice I would have rather watched this romance play out in pretty much any other context.

Overall, this book was great. Had I read it during the height of my party days, I probably would’ve felt exposed and seen. I felt like it was a unique perspective and enjoyed it.

This is my first time reading an Ashley Winstead novel so I was not prepared for how much I'd adore a self-destructive heroine. Seriously. I could not stop reading this one. Fool Me Once has the perfect blend of humorous and poignant plot threads. It's challenging to let a character sink into the depths of their own misery because there's the risk that readers will quit rooting for them. But Lee is a fascinating, nuanced character and I found her so likeable from the opening chapter. She's both determined to believe the lie she's living, that love isn't something she believes in anymore, yet fiercely passionate about green energy public policy. She'll stop at nothing to convince herself she doesn't need a healthy long-term relationship. And Ben. Oh my word, such a loveable hero! I liked how he was determined to move on from Lee, but ultimately his love for her triumphed in the end.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions shared here are my own.

✨ The Title/Cover Draw:
After “In My Dreams I Hold a Knife” was one of my favorite books last year, I had to read more by this author. Thank you to @harpercollins for arranging this book tour and allowing me to read this ahead of publication.

💜 What I liked:
This reads as a light, quirky contemporary romance. You are rooting for the main character, Lee, to pass an important climate bill and get her love life together. Her friends and co-workers are fun and some of these situations are crazy.

😱 What I didn’t like:
This book lagged a little in the middle. Oh! One small discrepancy about 2 hotels in the middle of the Magic Kingdom at the beginning of the book, and I only mention it because I live in Orlando and had worked there before. Small detail, I digress. But other than that, this book is fantastic.

🚦 My face at the end: 🥰

💭 Reasons to Read:
Disney Princesses
Renaissance Fairs and Comic Con
Government
Infidelity


🕧 Mini-Summary:
Lee is no stranger to heartbreak and politics. But Ben shows back up in her life after a past rough breakup, and it’s all antics from there.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Received from Netgalley.

💯 For more details on the books we read, be sure to follow me on TikTok (@zaineylaney) or check out our Podcast - Elated Geek!

It has been a long time since a book has made me both laugh out loud and cry. Sure I smile, I might tear up, but I was the fool reading this on the airplane with tears rolling down my face and giggles bursting out of me. Fool Me Once is Ashley Winstead's sophomore novel and if you expected a thriller like her debut, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, you have another thing coming. Fool Me Once is a romcom that anyone can read and enjoy. Main character Lee is all one night stands and no relationships. She's been burned, she's been cheated on, and she's been the cheater; love is not a thing she can believe in. Not even when the one man she's never let go of returns to her life. Ben is all suits, hard eyes, perfect hair, and competition. She must work alongside him and rely on him to get her dream Green Machine energy bill passed, but he will only get to see her as Lee, not as Stoner, her true self that he used to know. That's what she thinks at least, but the Green Machine bill seems to have ulterior motives for Lee and Ben.

Fool Me Once is a smart second-chance romance featuring characters that aren't, for once, foolish teenagers or college students. Sure, Lee makes some ridiculous mistakes and they go all out to get their bill passed in the oddest ways, but she's every bit of her age and experience. It was so refreshing to read an "adult aged" romance that felt realistic, because honestly we all know finding love in your mid twenty to thirties can be a bit of a dumpster fire. Even better, it isn't just a straight romance, we get to see Lee and Ben be smart members of society, fighting for a bill to better the environment and to educate the masses, and some stubborn senate members, that green is the future.

Lee is such a classic rom-com character in many ways though, in all the ways that I love. She was sassy, hardheaded, and vulnerable. Ben, on the other hand, is your classic male hero, only he doesn't play all macho man and really lets Lee in to see the impact she had on him. I was swept up in their romance, crossing my fingers are every bump in their journey that they would find their way back to one another. There's a lot of personal work necessary in Lee's life and watching her family and friends rally around her to figure her SH out was awesome.

Fool Me Once was an unexpected win for me and a true success from Ashley Winstead, she can write it all. If you like smart, snappy writing, well-developed characters, and a plotline that keeps you engaged, Ashley Winstead is the author for you and Fool Me Once is a rom com you cannot miss.

Lately, I had been reading a lot of darker and edgier reads- mostly thrillers so it was nice for a change to read a contemporary romance/chick lit read. Fool Me Once was a fun read as we meet Lee Stone aka Stoner who is a political fighting machine, she works for a green company that is trying to push through a bill in Texas with electric cars. She has been tasked to try and win the three last remaining voters for her bill to pass. Though her worst nightmare is about to happen as the Governor has brought in someone to help her win these votes. The someone turns out to be Ben Lauderman. Five years ago, Lee and Ben were happily in love until Lee ruined the relationship and his life at the time by cheating on him which caused a domino effect of events to happen including bombing his finals, losing his #1 class ranking and internship. The next day, Ben was gone and for five years it has been silence between the two of them. We learn throughout the book that Lee still loves Ben and that she has strong issues when it comes to cheating and love. She never gets close to guys as she expects that when things are going great, it will end with them cheating and so she breaks it off before it can reach that point. She will do everything she can to sabotage the relationship which is what she did with Ben. Fool Me Once was a great read despite the strong elements of cheating throughout the novel. It also has some funny moments like Ben dressing up as Captain Planet (as someone who grew up loving Captain Planet, I liked this part as it brought back good memories) as well as a strong political theme throughout the novel with trying to pass bills, win votes and sleazy politicians and events going viral. If you are looking for a good political chick lit / romantic comedy, then check out Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead - releasing this month.

This was cute and I enjoyed the second chance romance aspect of it. I didn't love the political aspect of it because I just don't enjoy reading about politics so that was my biggest qualm of the book but that's just personal preference.

Second chance at love? Enemies to lovers? Yes please!

I'll be honest - I was pretty skeptical for the first few chapters. Lee "Stoner" Stone, the main character, comes across as a bit of a party girl and it took me a little while to really connect with her, but once I did, I was hooked. After a string of heartbreaks, Lee adopts a "hurt them before they can hurt me" mentality and swears off serious relationships or falling in love. When she's reunited with her last serious boyfriend, Ben - the one she cheated on as revenge when she thought he was cheating on her, only to realize she was wrong - and they're forced to work together to pass a clean energy bill, she's forced to come to terms with the issues she has repressed.

While I love romances, I often feel that they're rushed and the resolution doesn't feel believable, but that's not the case with Fool Me Once. Ashley Winstead takes her time with the plot and every progression feels natural instead of forced or convenient. The banter between Lee and Ben is fantastic, and the slow burn physical connection is palpable long before they find a way to resolve their differences.

As an added bonus, the supporting cast of characters is richly portrayed - I especially loved Lee's connections with her circle of friends, and appreciated how they supported each other and how their friendships evolved over time. The book is heartfelt and also has some genuinely laugh-out-loud funny scenes - usually at Ben's expense, like in the form of his Captain Planet costume!

Ashley Winstead is not only a fantastic thriller/mystery writer, but she just jumped into a different genre and I LOVE it! Fool Me Once was great, and all the rom-com lovers need to check this out! Full of wit, second-chance love, and a lot of laughs. I'm excited to hear more from Ashley Winstead, and she's now one of my top authors to auto-buy!

After having her heart broken time after time, Lee swears off love and believes that everyone cheats, even the most perfect relationships.
During grad school, she meets Ben. Things with Ben are going too well and Lee decides to cheat on Ben with his nemesis before he gets a chance to hurt her. Ben is devastated and leaves town.
Five years later, Ben shows back up in her life. Forced to work together to get a clean energy bill pass. Tension builds and old sparks reignite, the pair fall back to old habits.

Let’s start off and say this book had a lot of wit and humor. I really adored this enemies to friends second chance romance. The main characters, Lee and Ben, were well developed and both complex and multilayered in their own way. Lee is unique, brash, and immature yet a strong and empowering woman. You want to dislike her but can’t because she is emotionally damaged based on past experience and it’s embedded in her view of relationships.
Ben is perfect in every way possible.

I really enjoyed In My Dreams I hold A Knife by Ashley Winstead and was really excited to get my hands on this e-ARC! This book was funny and started off really strong for me! I I believe the author did a fabulous job with incorporating humor and with into this romcom!
Once I reached the last half of the book it kind of fell flat for me. The main character Lee was getting annoying and was a little immature for me. I did love and enjoy all the other characters and I really wanted to enjoy this one but in the end I was no longer intrigued. I skimmed the last half and kind of got bored. I was hesitant to leave this review because I know so many people who were raving about this one. Maybe I missed something or maybe the political rom-com is just not for me.
I am still looking forward to the authors new thriller releasing in August!

Thank you NetGalley & Harlequin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

Pub date April 5, 2022

I really enjoyed In My Dreams I Hold A Knife by the same author so when I saw that she was coming out with her sophomore book, I was excited to read it. I was expecting another thriller, and much to my surprise is actually a romance book! Which i was so down for! I was really impressed that she writes for both genres.

Thank you so much to Ashley Winstead and HTP books for this gifted physical ARC!

Pub date: 4/5/22

Lee Stone never trusted men. She always assumed they were cheating because of her history, beginning from her father down to her ex boyfriends. She assumed the worst of her last boyfriend Ben Laderman and thought he was also cheating (even though he wasn’t), so she beat him to it. 5 years later, they are forced to work together and are brewing with a lot of emotions and unresolved issues.

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Things I really loved about this book include: women empowerment, fun setting in Austin TX, addressing climate change and great chemistry between the two MCs. Lee and Ben’s chemistry and their witty banter was really enjoyable. No doubt that Lee is flawed, but her character was strong and eventually grew and matured even though it took quite some time. Ben is also the nicest ex boyfriend ever. Too nice that I thought Lee did not deserve him at times. Because cheating is a common theme in this book, be warned as there a lot of it in it and the issues that stem from it. There’s also a lot of politics in this book. If you don’t mind any of that, then I do recommend this second chance romance as it can be really fun, hilarious and enjoyable! I can totally see this as a romcom movie!

This reminded me of a Christina Lauren book, good fun romance. I didn’t like the characters a whole lot, or the fact that so much of the plot revolves around cheating, but I did enjoy the political plot lines and journey. I wish the love story had been less toxic, and I didn’t need the steamy scenes (skipped right past). I definitely preferred the author’s previous book, which was a thriller, but if you like steamy romance with blundering characters, this book is well written and probably for you!
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

I had no idea that this is the same author that wrote In My Dreams I Hold a Knife. Talk about talent for writing across genres. This novel felt like the perfect springtime read. I loved the second chance romance aspect of this book more than anything. Lee is an easy to root for lead once you stick around long enough to understand why she is so closed off. Ben is amazing and his emotional scenes really do pack a punch. It surprised me in the sense that I came into this book with expectations of a rom-com (thanks to the cover) but it was a very deep story about grief, heartbreak, and forgiveness. Can't wait to read more of Ashley Winstead in the future, whatever genre she decides to take over next.

Once I started this book, I was so triggered that I had to finish it. I couldn’t put it down. I didn’t want to. I needed Lee to find her happily ever after.
When Lee finds out that Ben, the one person whose life she destroyed in grad school, is getting hired to help her pass a bill at work, she’s not sure how she’s going to survive. You see, when she thought Ben cheated on her, she went and did the same, only to find out that he didn’t, and she destroyed the one good thing she’s ever had.
Understandably, Ben wants nothing to do with Lee romantically ever again. He’s moved on from the aftermath of the atomic bomb that blew up his life and his heart, he’s not interested in a repeat. A good dose of competition is just what Lee needs to put her in her place, and he always comes out a winner.
Lee has issues. A whole host of issues, that have even more issues on top of them. She doesn’t believe in love, or that you can trust someone not to hurt you, when for all her life it’s what she’s seen and felt, over and over again. After Ben, she’s not let anyone in, and isn’t planning to again. Even if she just might be still in love with the boy who stole her heart and never gave it back.
These two. All Lee wanted is someone who wouldn’t leave, no matter how hard she pushed, but she knew love isn’t enough to withstand everything and inevitably they will leave. When we are young, we don’t understand communication and the thing about pushing is, we can only take so much. I saw a lot of people saying “Ben could do so much better, but I guess he wanted Lee.” Sure, we all can find relationships that aren’t messy, but it means nothing if the heart isn’t in it.
Thank you to Ashley Winstead, Graydon House and Netgalley for an early copy.

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.

This was a super fun read! I loved the political and progressive elements, and the second chance trope. The beginning felt a little immature for me, but I soon began to love the characters and saw myself rooting for them to make it.

Ashley Winstead debuts a twisty thriller <I>In My Dreams I Hold a Knife,</I> gets us all hooked on her as a thriller writer, then essentially tells us “hold my knife” as she drops a ROMANCE as her follow up book. It was a bold, ballsy move and I’m so happy she did it because <I>Fool Me Once</I> is one of my favorite romance books I’ve read in recent years.

I love reading across genres but one genre I struggle with is romance because they can be a bit fluffy. As much as we all need a little fluff in our lives, sometimes it gets a little too cotton candy fluff that sticks in my teeth and leaves us with gut rot. <I>Fool Me Once</I> has all the things romance loving readers want—a flawed protagonist, chaos, sexual tension, witty banter and belly laughing humor. What sets this book apart though is the substance—politics, family trauma, addiction and feminism laced within each page of this second chance love story.

I loved our independent spark plug protagonist Lee “Stoner” Stone. While at times her stubbornness and jaded attitude made me want to rip my hair out, she very much embodies the modern woman. Her mistakes, scars and overall personality is relatable and I think readers will definitely find pieces of themselves in her character and if not in her, then in one of the secondary characters in her social and work circle. The book is loaded with strong female characters and their personalities are sharp and refreshing. Ben is an equally likable leading man and you’ll find yourself rooting for Stoner and Ben to have a second chance at love. It’s brimming with sexual tension, it’s saucy and sexy and you may find yourself blushing when things finally climax (no pun intended).

A fun, witty romance with a Texas-sized personality, <I>Fool Me Once</I> firmly plants Winstead in a unique school of writers who are able to successfully write across genres.

I haven’t read Ashley Winstead’s thriller In My Dreams I Hold a Knife yet, but if it was anything like the fun ride that Fool Me Once was, I’ll be pushing it up on my TBR. This was a fun book to read that had me laughing out loud in so many parts, but also had a lot of heart to it.

I went back and forth with how I felt about Lee because at times her self destructive tendencies made it hard to like her. I did like her growth that started happening in the last quarter of the book and that those who cared about her never gave up on her. The chemistry between Lee and Ben was great and I loved that their relationship was a mash up of second chance and enemies to lovers. There were a few subplots that at times I think slowed the book down a little, especially when I was so invested on Lee and Ben and just wanted to focus on them.

“Pain is a part of love. When you open yourself up, pain is inevitable. But you do it anyway because love is worth it.”

If you’re looking for a great romance with lots of moments in this story where you’ll literally laugh out loud, this one’s for you! A second chance romance with some great 🔥 and loveable characters. It was so cute and I need to figure out how to get these friends from the book to be my real life friends!

I enjoyed this book so much and can’t wait to read more from this author!!

Fool Me Once is Ashley Winstead's dive into romance after her debut thriller last year. Fool Me Once follows Lee Stone as she tries to get the Green Machine Bill passed. She is working at Lise Motors and living her life, then her ex from five years ago walks in. The ex that she ran out of Texas. The ex that she cheated on with his rival. And he's here to qork on the bill with her. I enjoyed this novel and thought it well written. I have become an Ashley Winstead fan. A solid 4 stars!