Last year I fell into the bookstagram made me do it hole with In My Dreams I Hold A Knife, and admittedly I wasn’t a fan despite the fact that I enjoyed Winstead’s writing style.

So when I heard she was coming out with a book in a different genre I was excited to give it a read. Sadly, this one didn’t do it for me either.

The MC immediately came off stuck up and conceited, and I knew she and I wouldn’t get along. Her actions throughout were continuously immature, and I didn’t see much in terms of character growth, which is disappointing.

I get that we were going for team feminism with this one, but both the infidelity and political themes were over the top for me. For a romance especially, the politics ended up being such a turn off.

Winstead is no doubt a very talented writer and I love the style of her prose, but unfortunately I’ve found both novels quite underwhelming.

Thank you kindly to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade, and Grayson House for the gifted eARC.

It’s really hard to talk about why I loved this book without spoilers.

It’s the character arcs, nuances and attention to detail, the writing, and the push and pull that at times frustrated me but also made the other side that much more perfect.

This book made me laugh out loud and in the end had me feeling all the emotional feelings. It was equal parts character and plot driven and I was fully invested in both. The chemistry between Lee and Ben was electric and the policy wonk in me LOVED reading about characters working to get a bill passed.

Every conversation between characters and all of their actions meant something, whether it’s referenced in the past or we see it manifested in the future. Ashley doesn’t shy away from complex or potentially unlikeable characteristics, because as much as readers might love the romantic clichés and insta love, everything she wrote and the time it took for the plot to roll out felt incredibly authentic and realistic.

This book is about more than just romance, it’s about pain and love and forgiveness; growth and vulnerability; bravery and feeling empowered to be seen and heard.

This is my second Ashley Winstead book and I can confidently say she’s auto-buy author for me now. I can’t wait to read more from her this year!

✨𝙵𝚊𝚗-𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕 𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚊𝚢 - 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧✨
Why? Because I’m fan-girling hard over this incredible author, Ashley Winstead 🥰

📖 Fool Me Once
📝 Ashley Winstead
Method Read: Ebook - Kindle 📱

This book will be available on 𝙰𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚕 𝟻𝚝𝚑, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟸! 🎉🥳

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5⭐️ {5}

In my time on Bookstagram I’ve had the pleasure of getting to connect with so many people! Ashley Winstead, the author of Fool Me Once, has quickly become one of my favorite humans to chat with 💗 Not only is she absolutely brilliant, a phenomenal author & captivating writer - but she is also one of the sweetest people you will ever meet! Very grateful to call her a friend ✨

Fool Me Once is Ashley’s rom-com debut, her first book being the thriller “In My Dreams I Hold A Knife.” I am stunned by her ability to write such a an incredible novel & her ability to write BOTH genres! 🙌🏼

The main characters, Lee (aka: Stoner) & Ben, were incredibly charming, quirky & passionate - in many different ways. A connection between Lee & Ben cannot be denied - but boy, did I want to shake them both sometimes! 🤪
The damage that Stoner endured was made clear in the way she carried herself, treated relationships and held a guarded persona - making her not only relatable but also showed her humanity.

Fool Me Once is full of witty banter, hilarious one-liners, female empowerment & centers around pertinent issues our world faces today.

I cannot recommend this book enough! If you’re seeing this, take it as your sign to run & pre-order Fool Me Once - 𝚁𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃 𝙽𝙾𝚆! 🏃‍♀️

Read this if….
🔥 Slow burns are your jam
🪴 Climate issues intrigue you
💁🏻‍♀️ You want girls to run the world
📣 You like to cheer on main characters
🧑🏻‍⚖️ The political world takes you on a rollercoaster ride

This was such a moving, emotional, hilarious, & enjoyable read. It made me laugh out loud, cry, and even blush a little. The song “Lover” by Taylor Swift was playing in my head the entire time. I literally binge read this & it’s safe to say that this is one of my favorite reads of the year. It’s a second chance at love between exes that are sort of enemies, & now have to work together on a political campaign. The sexual tension and build up was absolutely delicious! I don’t think I have read a romance based in a political setting, so that was very enjoyable for me. Cheating was a topic that was discussed through this novel, but it was handled very nicely. There is a focus on having trust issues because of that. & It was great to see Lee grow as a woman and overcome these insecurities for her own wellbeing.

Lee Stone is a fierce woman working as a communications director for an electric car company. Now that she is trying to get a clean energy bill passed in the state of Texas, her ex Ben shows up. Coincidentally he works for the governor of Texas, & they will have to work on the green energy bill together. Many years have passed since they broke up, but there is a little spark rekindling underneath all that tension. As they spend more time together it is obvious that there were many things left unsaid, & the chemistry they once had is still there.

If you’re looking for a romance that has a little bit of everything, this is the one for you. I absolutely recommend this, just be mindful of the trigger warnings.

Lee loves her her job as a communications director for a woman owned electric car company. Her real goal however, is to get Texas to pass her bill to bring electric vehicles to buses, cabs, and transportation in general. Unfortunately for her, the man the governor has to help her get this bill passed is her ex Ben…who she cheated on before he could cheat on her. After finding out about her fathers affair she has never trusted men again.

This book was so crazy different from In My Dreams I Hold A Knife, and from what I have heard about The Last Housewife, it will be incredibly different from that one! I truly love when an author can manage such different genres and do both so well! While I wanted to smack Lee a few times while reading, I also completely understood where she was coming from! Meanwhile, I also felt for Ben and kind of wanted to tell him to just peace out and stop hurting himself. Basically I just wanted Lee to go to therapy for most of the book! Overall this book was so enjoyable and I had a hard time believing it was by the same author as these super dark thrillers!

Lee is a boss lady thats great at her job and determined to help change the world on car at a time. She's also ton of fun and can party with the best of them. She does not believe in love nor does she trust men. She's had her heart broken on four separate occasions and that's enough for her. Lee has also done her fair share of heartbreaking. Her ex Ben shows up and working for the governor of Texas which complicates Lee's clean energy bill and her feelings. Ben and Lee are forced to work together to get the bill passed and they must face their past along the way. Fool Me Once is lots of fun. Ben and Lee have great chemistry. Honestly, while I enjoyed this book I just didn't care about any of the politics of it. I just didn't need it but everyone is different. Overall, Fool Me once is charming, interesting and a blast to read!

What a forward-thinking title! It was nice to see such modern concepts in a title. It was truly a current work. I enjoyed how the history between the characters was a driving influence and how they overcame obstacles. It was a great weekend read!

Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead

In My Dreams I Hold a Knife was one of my favorite thrillers of last year and I was PUMPED to read her newest romance!! And let me tell you, Ashley Winstead has some serious range! I've also heard how freaking fantastic her next thriller is and I cannot wait!!

This is a second chance romance, workplace romance, and partial enemies to lovers. I wasn't expecting to feel so much for Lee Stone, or Stoner to her friends, and she is so beloved by me, and most of the state of Texas! Stoner is just so charismatic, made me laugh, and also empathize through her pain.

Lee is a powerhouse at work, a communications director at a woman-led electric car company and outside of work she turns into "Stoner", drinking, partying, and doesn't let anyone get too close. She has suffered what she calls the four major heartbreaks, starting with her father cheating on her mom to Ben Laderman in grad school, who never cheated on her, but she thought he would, so she sabotaged the relationship. Ben shows up five years later working as a policy expert for the most liberal governor in Texas history, and Lee is trying to get a clean energy bill passed and they must work together to see this through.

This story has hilarious banter, relatable characters, lots of tension, and has you rooting for Lee and her growth every step of the way. This is such a heartwarming story and made me so excited for Lee, both personally and professionally and what she can accomplish. She is such a hot mess and she put herself in situations where I was very frustrated with her, but she is extremely lovable to me and I loved seeing her growth and was so proud of her by the end! Cheating is a big part of the story line but it is handled very well. This story shows how trust issues can stem from a parent that cheated and trying to grow trust and overcome that.

Recommend for fans of Meet You in the Middle!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love LOVE love Ashley Winstead and her talent. I truly wish I can be her with her ability to write good romance. The main character Lee Stone doesn’t believe in love. At some point I can relate lol. Lee is a very very successful. I wasn’t expecting to cry—I did. I wasn’t expecting to laugh—and I did repeatedly. The opening scene yanked me into the world of this book, and I couldn’t put it down. The romance itself was wonderful and modern and you couldn’t help but root for it all to work out but for me the backstory pulled everything together. I loved the female empowerment; the character development and Lee & Bens chemistry was 🔥🔥. Check this one out asap!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for sharing an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

@ashleywinsteadbooks absolutely captivated me with this hilarious, laugh out loud, thoughtful and heartfelt rom com!

Lee Stone is a 21st century woman: she kicks butt at her job as a communications director at a women-run electric car company and after work she is “Stoner,” drinking guys under the table and not letting anyone too close. That’s because Lee’s learned one big lesson: never trust love. 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 despite their messy past.

This is truly everything you could want in a second chance romance: hilarious banter, relatable characters, tension between old lovers, and overcoming adversity - both personally and professionally. You'll find yourself feeling every high and low with Lee and Ben - and rooting for them every step of the way! Such a fun, heartwarming, relatable, and feel good story. I can't wait to go read her thriller 🤗

I know I am in the minority here but I just could not connect with the main character. Lee Stone works PR for an electric car company. Because of her father's infidelity, she does not believe in love, She even commits infidelity herself. I felt Lee was very immature for her age and very critical of others. How she treated her ex-boyfriend and her sister was upsetting to me. The only part I truly enjoyed reading was the push for electric cars and the political process storyline. Thank you NetGalley and Harlequinn Trade for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ashley Winstead has a strong authorial voice no matter what genre she is writing in. Fool Me Once was both smart and swoon-worthy and I could not put it down. I highly recommend this for anyone who wants more substance to their romance reads.

This was was cute and heartwarming. The main character was likeable and relatable. I feel like many people in their twenties and early thirties will really enjoy this as it captures the political climate we’re in, the struggles of dating, and the emotional headspace of being young. I would give it 4/5 stars, only because I didn’t love how much emphasis was on the politics.

Wow, talk about range! Not only did Ashley Winstead write one of the best thrillers I’ve read in years with In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, but she can also write hilarious romance!? Sign me up.

Fool Me Once was a ton of fun, it’s a second chance love story following Lee “Stoner” Stone and her ex boyfriend, Ben. Lee lives in Texas and is a comms director for an electric car company. Her big initiative is to pass a green energy bill to transform Texas into a more environmentally friendlier state with the use of electric vehicles and charging stations. While working with the governor of Texas to pass the bill, Lee’s college boyfriend Ben has come on board as a new advisor to the current administration. After a horrible breakup five years before, Lee and Ben haven’t spoken since but old feelings and old memories start to surface as the two campaign for the bill.

My favorite thing about this book was the banter between Lee and Ben, their antics during the campaign were hilarious. While Lee is the definition of a flawed character, this made her relatable and easy to root for. Although Lee was a mess emotionally speaking, she was a total badass at her job and a great sister and friend. I’m not a huge fan of politics in books but felt the author did a great job weaving the storyline into what’s happening in present day.

Overall, this was a cute, fun romance and I can’t wait to read Ashley Winstead’s upcoming thriller!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: 4/5/22

After reading Ashley Winstead's first book, I was so excited to see what her first romance would be like. The verdict is: amazing!

I absolutely loved the tone and characters of this book. Our main characters personality created so many hilarious situations, while also creating believable conflict of why she didn't believe in love. There were definitely times when I was very frustrated with her, but I loved her growth in the end. I can already see Ben Laderman being everyone's new book boyfriend as well. Hot, emotional, feminist. Yes please. The tension that was built between Ben and Lee was so good, as well. I was really rooting for them by the time they got together, and the anticipation was killing me.

I also loved the setting of this book. I haven't personally read a romance centered around the world of politics, and seeing all of the behind the scenes was so much fun. Plus, having a confident main character with big career aspirations was a really nice change from many other romance novels out there. If people don't like politics I can see them thinking it took up a little too much time in this book, but I personally really enjoyed that aspect.

I know many people don't like cheating being a plot point in romances, but I think it was done well here. The aftermath of having a parent cheat and why people cheat was really explored. It never felt like cheating was done egregiously and always furthered the plot.

Overall I absolutely loved this book and can't wait to see what Ashley Winstead comes out with next!

Thanks NetGalley for the arc !






Fool me once was one of my top reads this year. I recommend this book !! If you love romcoms you'll love this romantic and cute story 😍The book will be a for sure regular reread for me.

This review is tough for me. I know so many people have loved this book. The writing was excellent. The one-liners and banter was top notch. The story and plot was new and exciting. I liked the skeleton of the story.

But second-chance romance stories are just not my jam...even with enemies to lovers thrown in. And neither is anything involving cheating (which is a big proponent of this story). I don't want to that to detract from how well written it is, or the character development and growth from both of the main characters. The theme of infidelity is prevalent throughout the book. And I know this is a me issue, because I enjoyed everything else.

For the story/plot/dialogue/writing I would give it 5 stars.
For the tropes used I would give it 3 stars, but I know not everyone will have a problem with that.

Ashley winstead can do no wrong in my eyes. Both in my dreams I hold a knife and fool me once were both some of the quickest five star reads of my life! She is now an automatic buy author for me! How she was able to go from an insane thriller to a cute and funny enemies to love romance book just shows her skill! Lee stoner is such a relatable character who has had a rough life in terms of love and has been burned a few too many times! When here heartbreak from 5 years ago comes back into her life in expectantly and they are forced to work together her life is thrown for quite a loop! I absolutely loved the back and forth with these characters- such a quick and fun read!

This was my second Ashley Winstead book, and it definitely did not disappoint! Ashley is definitely going to be an auto-buy author for me!

I really loved the tropes in this book of second-chance romance and semi- enemies to lovers at times. The banter was great, and I loved Ben!! I thought the plot was very unique, and I definitely enjoyed the political aspects of it, which I have been really into lately! I absolutely would love more epilogue-- did Lee win?? I NEED to know if Texas is going blue!

A few things that were not my favorites while reading probably included Lee for the first 75% of the book. A was still rooting for her, but in a different way than you normally would in a romance book. All my thoughts were "this girl could really benefit from therapy" and "probably not the best idea to keep drowning your issues in alcohol". While it was extremely exhausting to be in her head, I felt like it was still easy to understand how this could be a very realistic mind-set for someone. While Lee, was certainly not perfect, she was real. The only thing that genuinely bothered me about her was the fact that she kept saying how much Ben hurt her... while I get she could have been hurt from him up and leaving, she had the inability to take responsibility for her own actions that got her into that situation in the first place. If I was in Ben's position, I would have done the exact same thing and it did not sit well with me that she did not seem to understand that at all.

That being said, Lee's growth is my favorite part about this book! She grew up so much and Ben truly helped her become the best version of herself! Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher, and Ashley for the ARC copy!

I REALLY enjoyed this book!. It was so relatable. For anyone who has gone through life with some baggage that has held you back from happiness. Has lit the fuse for bad decisions, has broken your own heart. Yeah, you'll get this book. I loved the political setting even though, especially in this day and age, I loath politics. I am personally a crappy vegan/vegetarian that tries hard to recycle and do better for the earth. So I could get behind the bill that Stoner and Ben were trying to peddle, oh also, I was born in Texas so yeah, this book was SOOO for me. Lol.