In this fierce and funny battle of the exes, FOOL ME ONCE explores the chaos of wanting what you already had.
Lee Stone is a twenty-first-century woman: 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 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. Tension builds just as old sparks reignite, fanning the flames for a romantic dustup the size of Texas.
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Praise for Fool Me Once
“I absolutely love a messy heroine; throw in political schemes and off-the-charts chemistry, and Fool Me Once delivers a wild, sexy ride from start to finish!”
— Trish Doller, author of Float Plan
“A hilariously sharp-tongued romance with an unforgettable, unapologetic heroine. Fool Me Once is a breath of fresh air!”
— Rachel Lynn Solomon, bestselling author of The Ex-Talk
“A simmering slow burn bursting with banter, Fool Me Once has all the raunch, humor, and charm of a Judd Apatow movie but with the kind of flawed, dynamic heroine rom-com fans have been waiting for. This is a romance for anyone who’s ever felt too messy to be loved.”
— Rosie Danan, author of The Roommate
“Fresh, funny, and chaotically wonderful, Fool Me Once had me hooked from the very first page! Winstead weaves an undeniably sexy tale of will-they/won't-they that is sure to be a phenomenal addition to every rom-com lover's library.”
— Kate Bromley, author of Talk Bookish to Me
“A love story for every truly hot mess...A romance with bite, wit, and heart.”
— Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“With this tension-fueled love story set in the world of Texas politics...sparks fly and laughs abound as Winstead rides the line between enemies-to-lovers and second-chance romance tropes. Readers will want to snap this up.”
— Publishers Weekly
“Winstead offers a sharp and witty rom-com-styled novel in the vein of HBO's The Flight Attendant and Julie Valerie's Holly Banks Full of Angst (2019). Politically savvy, romantically challenged Stoner is a warmly relatable heroine with a self-destructive streak a mile wide. Exploring the draw of idealism in many forms, Fool Me Once is a gem.”
— Booklist
“A page-turning story about trust, second chances and going green – with some red-hot moments along the way…a modern fairytale.”
— USA Today
“Romance lovers, environmental crusaders and socially progressive thinkers will love this read in equal measures, and I highly recommend you pop this one in your pocket when you need a solid laugh, a harrowing cry and all other expressions of love in between.”
— Harlequin Junkie
“It's clear that Winstead is a hugely talented and versatile novelist, and readers shouldn’t think twice about picking up this thoroughly delightful romance that makes the case that everyone – even the messiest among us – is deserving of true love.”
– Bookreporter
“There’s plenty of humor and sexual tension is this winner of a romcom, but it’s the characters, with their real flaws and issues, that make Fool Me Once a particular standout this season.”
– Washington Independent Review of Books
An Amazon Best Romance of 2022