2.5/5Oh man. I went from absolutely loving *Fool Me Once (Court of Pain, #1)* to wanting to chuck my Kindle out the window. I was hooked at the beginning, but after that, the situation for Lark and the Prince of Love just spiraled in the worst possible direction. I know there's a second book coming, but damn! I just wanted them to catch a break and be together for once. The book is told from both Lark and the Prince of Love's perspectives. Lark's the jester in the Court of Love, but that's just ...

4.25**** starsSo many fools, so many webs of lies, so many secrets, they’re all playing each other. My head is spinning and so is my heart. I don’t know who or what to root for and have no idea where this is going. But I love it.And then he was gone, asleep. He really did look innocent and vulnerable like this. “I’m sorry, Lark…” I whispered. “For everything you’ve endured, and for the pain yet to come.”♛♛♛He put up a show of struggling, but when his gaze met mine, he smiled, and it was the same...

I'm still figuring out how to rate Fool Me Once. I'm already diving into the second book in the Court of Pain series, and I'll post a full review after I'm done with that one. That being said, I genuinely enjoyed Fool Me Once by Ariana Nash. It reminded me of something else I've read (in a good way!), and it made me realize I'm drawn to characters who lie. They might be lying to other characters for various reasons, or even subtly lying to themselves. As a reader, I'm constantly questioning what...

This was sooooooooo good!!! Seriously, I devoured "Fool Me Once" by Ariana Nash. What a ride! If you're looking for a book review that screams 'read this now,' here it is. So good!!!

✰ 4 stars ✰ “Orphan boys didn’t get happy endings. Not in this court. Jesters did not marry princes, and fools could never be heroes. But I dealt in the currency of dreams. And here, in this moment, I had more power than any king.” There were a few moments there where I found myself comparing *Fool Me Once* with *Captive Prince*, what with the whole magical political intrigue and enemies to lovers vibe. 🃏🃏 But after awhile, it slowly gained momentum and steadily grew on me as both MMCs get e...

3.75 Stars I really got into the relationship and the dark vibes, but some of the characters made choices that were just plain dumb. I couldn't help rolling my eyes at their total lack of self-preservation. Throughout the entire book, the villain is just strolling around like he owns the place. Why isn't anyone kneecapping this guy? "Fool Me Once" by Ariana Nash is a wild ride, but sometimes you just gotta suspend your disbelief. If you're looking for dark romance book reviews, this one's got s...

"I hated him, who he was, what he’d done. But I also understood him, perhaps more than he understood himself. And the truth? He was my enemy, and I knew that. It really was that simple. The only thing I didn’t know was why. A dark fantasy about a jester secretly wreaking havoc upon his court (for reasons….) can’t not be entertaining. This entire book was pretty wild, and the constant thrill of betrayal certainly kept things very high-stakes. I never knew who I could trust; even the ma...

I took my time reading Fool Me Once because I saw the trigger warnings and knew I was in for a heavy experience.This book is dark, dangerous, and heartbreaking all at once, but it's also stunning, rich, and deeply romantic.It tackles so many dark themes, so seriously, pay attention to those warnings. It ends on a cliffhanger, and I honestly don't know how Lark and Arin are going to find their happily ever after, but after all that pain, they deserve it more than anything.It reminded me a bit of ...

(UPDATE to trigger warnings - see my website).UPDATED COVERS!!Enemies to lovers? ✔Hate sex? ✔Pin the hero to a wall with a knife at his throat? ✔Villain lifts male lead's chin? ✔Fight or fuck? ✔Triggers that are too hot for Amazon's ban-bots? ✔The best angsty bois? ✔I hate him but touch him and you die? ✔A bad guy that makes Joffrey look cute? ✔A court jester who plays them all like fools? ✔ALL THE FEELS? ✔This one's gonna hurt, but I heard you guys like pain, so... Click to listen to the Spotif...

I was provided an e-copy of the book by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.✅ Dark vibe✅ Betrayals and twists✅ Sexual tension✅ Hate/love dynamic and kind of hate sex✅ Morally grey characters✅ Politics and lies✅ 2 POVs✅ Pace and plot❗️❗️Trigger warnings: physical torture, violence, attempted suicide and mention of suicide, dubious consent (on-page), non-consensual sex and incest (off-page), and knife play.❗️❗️Kind of cliffhangerStrong 4.5 stars ...