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theotterside's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Alcohol, Infidelity, Drug use, and Death of parent
Minor: Car accident, Racism, Misogyny, and Homophobia
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Lee Stone doesn’t believe in love—especially when it comes to her disastrously-ended relationship with former grad school flame Ben Laderman. But when Ben lands back in her life unexpectedly, all of Lee’s philosophies may just need to be revisited.
Ashley Winstead is uniquely talented, and one of those talents is that she can take plot devices and tropes that you may not always love and turn them into something absolutely incredible. In my review of her debut thriller, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, I noted that I’m not always a fan of dual timelines or romantic thrillers, but I loved them in that book. Similarly, I’m not a huge fan of cheating storylines in romance, nor do I usually like a messy cynic main character—but I absolutely LOVED them both here.
I was so absolutely hooked by Fool Me Once from the very first chapter, and the whip smart characters, laugh-out-loud humor, and fun political plot keep me engaged throughout. Best of all, the ending was pitch perfect—honestly, I was near tears (Ben is JUST TOO PERFECT, y’all). Truly, I’m an Ashley Winstead superfan now and forever, and cannot wait to read every single book she ever writes moving forward.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: second chance romance; political rom-coms; chaotic main characters.
CW: Infidelity (like, a lot of infidelity, in so many contexts); death of a parent; sexism; some discussions of homophobia.
Lee Stone doesn’t believe in love—especially when it comes to her disastrously-ended relationship with former grad school flame Ben Laderman. But when Ben lands back in her life unexpectedly, all of Lee’s philosophies may just need to be revisited.
Ashley Winstead is uniquely talented, and one of those talents is that she can take plot devices and tropes that you may not always love and turn them into something absolutely incredible. In my review of her debut thriller, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, I noted that I’m not always a fan of dual timelines or romantic thrillers, but I loved them in that book. Similarly, I’m not a huge fan of cheating storylines in romance, nor do I usually like a messy cynic main character—but I absolutely LOVED them both here.
I was so absolutely hooked by Fool Me Once from the very first chapter, and the whip smart characters, laugh-out-loud humor, and fun political plot keep me engaged throughout. Best of all, the ending was pitch perfect—honestly, I was near tears (Ben is JUST TOO PERFECT, y’all). Truly, I’m an Ashley Winstead superfan now and forever, and cannot wait to read every single book she ever writes moving forward.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: second chance romance; political rom-coms; chaotic main characters.
CW: Infidelity (like, a lot of infidelity, in so many contexts); death of a parent; sexism; some discussions of homophobia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Infidelity
Moderate: Abandonment, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol, Car accident, Drug use, and Homophobia
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