This is my first Ashley Winstead book and I really enjoyed it! Lee Stone or Stoner as she is known by her friends is a communications director for a female owned electric car company. She is resistant to letting men get too close because she's been burned too many times. Enter Ben Laderman, one of the 4 men who broke her heart. Forced to work together to lobby for a more environmentally friendly Texas. I laughed out loud several times at the banter in this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Graydon House for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader's copy of this book. This in no way affects my review, all opinions are my own.

Lee Stone is dressed as a Disney princess when her life begins its spiral. Hearing that her ex boyfriend (and quite possibly the only boyfriend she’s loved) is coming to work on her house bill, she immediately falls into a water foundation. Ben and Stoner did not separate on good terms, and she is worried about working so close with him. As this book progresses, it was obvious to me that Ben was irrevocably in love with Stoner, and she was just to nervous to get close to him for fear of messing up again. Stoner reflects on her four heartbreaks, realizing that people should not be placed on pedestals and forgiveness is okay.

I really loved this book!! It was hilarious, with quips and sarcasm, and finally, a glorious hook up scene that takes place during a political event. I loved Stoner, and while she did infuriate me with her choices, her passion for the environment was my favorite part about her.

Special thanks to Netgalley and for an e-ARC FOOL ME ONCE! 4.2 stars from me!

I really enjoyed this book. It was funny which was the best part of it. The character wasn’t that likeable but if you’ve ever experienced heartbreak you could totally understand where she was coming from. I loved the slow burn, I was hoping the whole book! The competitiveness and the banter was amazing. An all around good romance!

Lee Stone and Ben Laderman are now allies in their fight for a clean energy bill. The pair have a history, and it has been five years since they broke up and they haven't spoken since. Not only are they working against each other, but they are on the same path. The fact that old feelings are refusing to stay buried begins to complicate things.

For one thing, Ben is seeing someone. More than that, their relationship ended up under very bad circumstances and this definitely would complicate anything new happening between them.

As Lee and Ben work towards their common goal, Lee has to deal with old feelings that have proved problematic for her. This made this romance even better, as readers got to see her growth. This book also had a political edge to it as the pair fought to get their bill going. That was a nice twist in this enjoyable romance story.

Many thanks to Graydon House and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

From my blog: Always With a Book

There are a select few authors that I will jump at the chance to read just about anything they write, including romcoms, and Ashley Winstead is definitely one of them. I absolutely loved her debut novel, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and just had to give this new book a chance and am so glad I did…I loved it!

This book was such a delight. I laughed my way through it (the marathon scene was hysterical – tears rolling down my face funny!), but also enjoyed the poignant moments just as much. I think there was such a great balance of a strong female that’s also just a bit of a mess in some parts of her life. You know what…that’s so real and relatable and I think that’s what made me really appreciate this one. Yes, it’s got some politics involved, but I never felt it became the main focus and I also loved how family played a big part in this one, too.

I’m not sure how this author went from writing a dark thriller to a laugh-out-loud rom-com, but she does it and she does it well. I will hands down be reading anything this gal writes as she is one talented writer! So whether you like the light and sweet reads or the dark and chilling ones, this is one author not to miss!

FOOL ME ONCE is a second-chance, enemies-to-lovers political romance that does not disappoint. It’s a quick read, (because you won’t want to put it down) with well developed characters, an engaging plot, and great writing. I definitely recommend this one for romance lovers.

Thank you everyone for this gifted copy of Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead!

Let me just say, this is the rom com book everyone needed this year. It’s witty, it’s funny, it needs to be made into a movie. I loved every moment of this book, and found myself laughing throughout the whole thing.

Ben is the new book boyfriend we all need and want.

Ashley, please give us more ❤️

I can't even remember the last time a romance got me this hooked. I loved everything about it!

In one book we have:
Disney World wedding (I’m still laughing about those chapters)
Environmental issues and politics. As an electric car owner myself, I LOVED how the author brought up the subject and how big of an impact it is in the world.
The dream of “turning Texas blue” - I actually learned A LOT about politics and passing bills while reading this book

I am obsessed with Lee and Ben.

I LOVED how flawed she is. She is real. She is a badass. She has the best group of friends! And Ben, oh Ben… Can he please be a real person? We need a couple like these two in politics. Urgently.

Read this book asap and talk to me when you’re done.

When I got the spring review round up in my email and saw this book and the description, I knew that I needed to request and read it. I enjoy the lovers to “enemies” to lovers again. It adds a fair amount of tension between the characters and the storyline.

Lee is a PR person for a car company. She is heading up a Green Machine bill for the State of Texas that would replace government and city vehicles with electric cars. She is paired with Ben with whom she dated 5 years prior and they broke each other’s heart. I read the first half in large chunks and the last half I read all in one fell swoop. I needed to know how it ended. While I really enjoyed the book I did give it a 3 stars because the character of Lee really really aggravated me. I thought she was acting childish and overly dramatic. Usually a character with bad behavior would not bother me or affect my love of the story, but Lee was a bit over the top and made me almost want to put the book down and move on to something else. Don’t get me wrong, I did really enjoy the story but her character bothered me that much.

I will say that Lee didn’t really mature and grow as a person until like the last 4-5 chapters of the book. She did things that you wouldn’t think a grow adult would do including doing drugs and stuff like that. I really enjoyed the whole will-they won’t they tension that was laced throughout the books. I loved the family that Lee surrounds herself with. They all have her back and want her to succeed in her life. I really cheered for Lee and Ben and their relationship, they were really destined to be together. It may sound like I didn’t like the book but I really did enjoy the book, it was just the main characters. The book was well written and I loved the writing style. I will probably check out more books by this author.

Lee Stone is living the life she's wanted -- she has a successful career, great friends who support her, and her romantic dealings with men are of the "no strings/no emotions" variety. She likes to party (hence the nickname "Stoner") All is good until she is forced to work with her grad school ex, Ben Laderman.

Ben and Lee were in love until she has a meltdown and things go very badly, very quickly. Five years later, she's now working with him to get a bill passed for cleaner energy. They set up a competition -- anything to avoid talking about how they ended. And so starts this second chance romance.

I really liked this, and since I'm not a big reader of political-themed romance, I was a bit surprised by how I got involved in this story. I absolutely adored Stoner -- in spite of her questionable coping mechanisms. She's smart and sensitive and isn't afraid to show either aspect of her personality. But she has one flaw -- she thinks that all relationships end up with cheating and her history proves her right in her mind.

I liked Ben. His feelings for Lee are evident from the start -- he still has feelings for her that he tries to hide to protect his own heart, and considering how he and Lee broke up -- I don't blame him at all. But he's a man who is following his heart and I really liked him for that.

There were some slow spots in the story for me that I skimmed, but overall, I really enjoyed this second chance romance. Lee has a lot of growing to do to get to her happy-for-now ending, and I liked that there wasn't a magic bullet that brings these two together. They both have to work for it if they want to be with each other. For all these reasons, I'm rating this 4 1/2 stars.

Fool Me Once is my first Ashley Winstead novel and it won’t be last!

Fool Me Once follows Lee Stone as she prepares to put everything on the line to try to get an environmentally friendly bill passed when she’s forced to work closely with her ex.

Lee is a difficult character to connect with because she’s jaded and closed off. Honestly, Lee is difficult to even like on a basic level sometines. As the novel progresses, readers discover the reasons Lee is so jaded. She’s quite unlikeable at times, but she’s so headstrong and confidant it’s difficult to not admire her. If you’re a Tarryn Fisher fan, I’d recommend Fool Me Once to readers who enjoyed The Opportunist.

Fool Me Once oozes emotion. There are a lot of unresolved emotions throughout the novel that drive the story. I particularly enjoyed Ben’s emotional scenes. They were gut wrenching and real. His frustration, heart break, and anger is palpable.

There are two reasons I rated Fool Me Once four stars instead of five. Firstly, for a romance novel it’s light on the romance. I wish Winstead would have spent more time focusing on Lee and Ben’s relationship. Their past relationship is so important to their present, but it doesn’t get enough page time.

Secondly, Lee’s emotional trauma is deep and embedded into her very being. So I found that the end of the novel wrapped up too quickly and too cleanly considering the drama and emotional damaged that was inflicted.

Overall, Fool Me Once surprised me. It’s a story about forgiveness, healing, and love wrapped in a story about saving the planet through politics.

I'm not even sure where to start writing a review about 𝗙𝗢𝗢𝗟 𝗠𝗘 𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗘 because it had a lot going on. The easiest way might be to take a list approach.

WHAT I LIKED:
• Lee is perfectly and unapologetically herself (for good and bad). She is ballsy and brash and hilarious, but also has quite a few character flaws. Lee has a lot of character growth, but only at the very end of this book (and I'm not sure it was quite as much as I needed).
• Ben is a total cinnamon-roll hero! He is smart and hot and so, so sweet.
• There is a lot of really great feminist writing in 𝗙𝗢𝗢𝗟 𝗠𝗘 𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗘 and I loved it. Women supporting women, men challenging sexism in social situations and the workplace, female entrepreneurs and leaders, and more.
• Great and supportive girlfriend group.

WHAT I STRUGGLED WITH:
• Yes, 𝗙𝗢𝗢𝗟 𝗠𝗘 𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗘 definitely passed the Bechdel Test, but maybe a little too well. You have to wade through a LOT of American politics and a lot of extra side stories and this book really lagged in parts because of that.
• There is so much cheating in this book. SO MUCH. If you find cheating even remotely triggering do. not. read. this. book.
• Lee is funny and quirky and a badass at her job. But otherwise she is a really hard character to like. She treats the people in her life really badly for most of the book, she has cheated on a boyfriend in the past (not a spoiler, the reader knows this from the beginning), she runs from her problems, and uses people fairly often. Her redemption only comes in the last 10%.
• There was a fair amount of drug/alcohol ABUSE in this book and it was addressed as a possible issue just once and otherwise was a bit celebrated. This includes a lead character accepting an unidentified pill from a stranger, choosing to take it, getting extremely high, and having no other repercussions. Marijuana use doesn't bother me at all (and there is a lot in this book), but taking unknown illegal drugs while surrounded by strangers and hallucinating is another matter. I was pretty shocked that this made it into the book.

𝗙𝗢𝗢𝗟 𝗠𝗘 𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗘 covers a lot of territory: grief, forgiveness, loss, healing, unhealthy coping, politics, environmental concerns, cheating, death, and more.

The swoony moments and quotable passages in this book were plentiful. And those things saved this book from getting a much lower rating from me.

While 𝗙𝗢𝗢𝗟 𝗠𝗘 𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗘 has received really glowing reviews as of its first week of publication (when I'm writing this review), I am fairly certain that—as more people read this book—there will be a lot more readers who struggle with the parts that I struggled with.

The Review

The author did such an incredible job of crafting a modern-day romance that balanced out the complexities of pursuing meaningful careers in politics with the heated tension of the romance between the protagonist and her romantic interest/workplace rival, Ben. The world-building and atmosphere the author crafted throughout this narrative were brilliantly highlighted by the themes of modern-day relationships and the concept of commitment in a relationship.

This was the perfect adult romance novel thanks to the brilliant character development this narrative had. The personal hang-ups and struggles each character has throughout this novel felt very realistic and spoke to the struggle many feel as they pursue a professional career as well. The chemistry and heat that develops as the narrative progresses will instantly hook romance readers.

The Verdict

Heartfelt, intriguing, and entertaining, author Ashley Winstead’s “Fool Me Once” is a must-read romance this spring! The perfect read for those who enjoy adult romances that explore a professional rivalry and painful past meets heated chemistry in the present day, the novel delivers both emotionally and narratively, showcasing the author’s immense talent to create the perfect amount of imagery to bring these scenes to life.

This was my first book by Ashley Winstead and I absolutely loved it! I was laughing out loud at the banter between Lee and Ben throughout this entire book. Lee was a hot mess but I loved how real and relatable she was and how amazing she was at her job. She also had some of the best friends I’ve seen in a novel which just added to my enjoyment. The only reason I didn’t give this 5 stars is because I felt like it took a bit too long for Lee and Ben to get on the same page and I was starting to get frustrated with their relationship. Other than that, I loved this book so much and will recommend over and over again!

Thanks to htpbooks for an advanced copy of Fool Me Once.

I hadn't connected the dots that Ashley Winstead also wrote In My Dreams I Hold A Knife which I coincidentally listened to this week. So I'm impressed with Ashley Winstead's writing since both books are so good and two very different writing styles!

Fool Me Once is a fun second chances rom-com between Lee Stone who is the Communications Director at an electric car company in Texas and Ben who just moved back to Texas as a policy expert for the Governor. I do like the forced to work together with the ex plotline!

This was a funny and chaotic book. I liked the writing style and story though I really didn't like Lee. She was a little too immature and self-destructive. The main theme of the book is around infidelity in relationships and a main character who can't trust men. While the story was fun it was also a little too unrealistic but that's part of what made it so funny to read.

In My Dreams I Hold My Knife was one of my favorite books of last year. It’s such a well written debut that when I heard Winstead was crossing genres and writing a romance I knew I needed to read it.

The writing was spot on again, and I loved the story. Lee “Stoner” Stone cheated on her boyfriend Ben in grad school and he moved away. Now it’s five years later, Ben is back in Texas, and they have to work together to get a climate change bill passed.

My favorite parts of this book were when Lee and Ben were on the campaign trail. They attended all sorts of events and festivals and these scenes were always very humorous. I loved seeing them get past their past and be able to work together.

Lee is a strong female character who is also a bit broken. It was nice to read a book about gender equality, but also seeing a main character with issues of her own. It made this story more realistic although there were times I wanted to shake her and tell her to get her act together!

I did struggle to get into the story at first, but at about fifty pages in I couldn’t put the book down.

Thank you HTP Books, Graydon House, and NetGalley for advanced copies in exchange for me honest review.

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.

Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead 🚗

Lee Stone is a bad ass woman who works for an electric car company (better than Tesla)! However, she doesn’t believe that love lasts. She has had four major heartbreaks in her life and has learned to never trust relationships. However, when her last heartbreak, Ben, shows up 5 years later to help her with her clean energy bill, sparks begin to reignite. ⭐️

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ; I LOVED this! First off, the opening scene was *chefs kiss 🤌🏻* Everything was spectacular and super engaging from women empowerment to clean energy discussions to second chance romances. This is my first book by Winstead (yes, I need to go read In My Dreams I Hold a Knife right away) and I recommend so much!! 🧡

And thank you @netgalley & @harlequinbooks for the eARC! Fool Me Once was released yesterday!

Thank you so much to @graydonhousebooks for the complimentary digital review copy of Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead in exchange for an honest review.

Fool me once is the story of Lee "Stoner" Stone, a nearly 30 year old PR professional in Texas who is forced to work with the ex she wronged. For the first few chapters of the book, I wasn't really sure what was going on - I didn't find the main character very likable, and she had some severe emotional baggage (like, she cheated on her ex, and was surprised he didn't want to talk to her again?)

The MC is very immature, but some of the reasons for that become clear as you get to know her better. About a third of the way through, there is a bonkers flashback scene at a church where you get some insight into why Stoner is so damaged. I can't call the scene believable, but it helped me figure out what was going on - essentially this book feels like a season long story arc from a nighttime Soap. This is something I am definitely here for!

The most bizarre things happen, but that's ok! It's a soap! Seriously, I can't remember that last book I read with this many characters cheating on partners.

I devoured this book in a day, once I got into it it was a super fast read.

So I just recently read Ashley Winstead's debut novel, In My Dreams I Hold A Knife, and totally loved it! Now here she is with a romance that I also really loved! Giving this one 4.5 stars and rounding up! It was such a great read. And the fact that Ashley can write both thrillers and romance novels - and write them both well - is amazing! She is one to watch for sure!

The story had so many funny moments! I love a good romcom and the main character, Lee, was quite hilarious! She had such a witty, sarcastic sense of humour, which I'm a fan of. She was also a woman who did what she wanted, when she wanted. She was a bit of a hot mess, but it made her relatable.

There was a perfect amount of steam in this book. A good number of open door romance scenes. It was never too much or too little. I loved the tension between Lee and Ben!

This was a second chance romance story, which is a theme I always enjoy! There was also a bit of forced proximity since Lee and Ben were working closely together on a project.

I also really liked Ben! I thought he was a great male lead. He seemed like a genuinely good guy and I wanted to root for him!

The only thing that lost me a little bit was the politics. It's just not something I'm super familiar with so at times, I wasn't quite sure what they were talking about, but it didn't take away from the enjoyment of the actual story at all! I loved this book and can't wait to see what Ashley writes next!