Reviews

Fool Me Once by Ariana Nash

gardenofbones's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

witworth's review

4.0

Alright, I’ll admit that I really, really enjoyed this book. My four stars lie mostly with the fact this book needs better trigger warnings..really badly. At the beginning of the book it says to find the trigger warnings on the authors website *sigh* alright fine..I headed over to their website and I had to almost dig to find the trigger warnings. It mentions that there is off-page incest…no bestie it’s ON page and it IS between main characters, not the main two but between one of the main characters and a main side character (IT STILL COUNTS AS MAIN CHARACTERS IMO OKAY?) incest also counts as kissing and other things, it’s not strictly limited to s*x, thus in my opinion there is on page incest. And while there’s a warning for non-consensual incest there should be a very large SA trigger warning up towards the top because it’s very prominent in this book. It really really would have benefited to better tw’s and it being on page in the book at the front vs on a website where you have to search for them. It was also published this year and putting warnings in your books has been a common thing for years now so it’s not because the book is older that there are no on page trigger warnings. I just felt very unprepared for happened in the book and I had to set it down and take a break multiple times. All of that aside however, I really enjoyed this book and am definitely gonna read book 2.

petra_reviews_mm's review

5.0

Ariana Nash... this woman... will be the death of me!
I find myself tortured, tormented, chewed up, and spat out... craving more pain.


This is yet another book by Ariana that makes me love her stories but also hate them. Why? Because Ariana drags her characters through mud, blood, tears, all the shit they have to deal with... and I often feel like there is no way out. No way to happiness. But that is also what I love. The tension, danger, dread. The anticipation. How will they solve the mess the characters did themselves?

This is the exact book. I absolutely loved the smut in the first half. It was really nice to see those moments earlier on. Yet, it was not just to satisfy horny readers. All the scenes had a purpose and pushed the relationship between Lark and Arin further.
TBH, I am not a fan of Draven (and how he wants to insert himself somewhere), but maybe he'll grow on me in the sequel.

As for the plot. The guys are really a bit too much sometimes. The push and pull was a bit tiresome at times. The constant: do I believe him? No. Yes. No. Actually...? No. had me almost eye-rolling.
However, the last 30 % were absolutely delicious.

I also loved how Lark and Arin had each other on their minds. That was really what sold the romance to me.

As for the dark themes: I needed such a book. With such wounded characters who are just desperate. And that desperation leads to some desperate measures. I hope that Arin will talk to Lark about it. Not just "look away" like he did now.

I received an e-ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

dinohakari's review

5.0

Every time I read an Ariana Nash book, I am amazed. And at this point I shouldn't be surprised anymore. The way her mind works and creates and builds all these worlds where her characters live is absolutely amazing. And they are each and every one of them so attractive that you can't help but immerse yourself in them, making them your own and living each story as if you were part of them. It doesn't matter if the story is good or not (and they are always much more than good), you are so much in that world that when you finally emerge at the end, it's as if a part of you has been ripped out of you.

Lark and Arin's world is twisted, full of lies and betrayals, violence and debauchery, where you must dig and dig to catch even a glimpse of what may really be true. And surely when you grab that thread of thruth, another twist happens. Nothing is what it seems, except that connection that exists between them, and that is put to test more than once, in such a way that they themselves doubt it.

And then the climax comes and suddenly, you realize you have to wait for the next book. Their journey does not end here, this was just the beginning.

I was given an advanced copy and voluntarily wrote a review.

addr_07's review

5.0

what is with these kindle books that make me read them in one sitting??? jesus christ this is like the 4th one this year
4.5/5

raintje's review

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

stabbyreaderxb's review

5.0

《 ℓαяк • αяιη 》

Lark  just grabs you by the throat and never lets go.

The twists and turns, the heartache and betrayals are just overwhelming. You never really know who you can trust and a person's true motives. Lark deserved so much better. He continuously broke my heart. He may be the villain in the majorities eyes, but Arin and I know what's really up.

I'm so ready for book 2 to see their HEA.

×  MM Dark Fantasy Romance
×  Enemies-to-Lovers
×  Betrayals and Twists
×  Court intrigue shenanigans
×  Cliffhanger
× Two Povs

bronwynheeley's review

4.0

I honestly can't think of anything to say. I really enjoyed the book even as it took me a bit to get through it, because it's dark, high angst with a lot of triggers, that had me just riding a little bit of anxiety the whole time (check website).

It was what I have come to expect from the author, twists and turns, a slow burn romance filled with angst, steam and intriguing enough to make me need to finish and has me now craving the next one.

kaitlin_durante's review

5.0

[I received a digital arc for an honest review]

***REVIEW THE TRIGGER WARNINGS BEFORE READING THIS BOOK AS THE MATERIAL DISCUSSED IN THIS DARK ROMANCE CAN BE DIFFICULT***

Fool Me Once by Ariana Nash is the first book in the Court of Pain series. Lark plays the fool in the Court of Love, He works every room and learns every secret with devious intentions no one knows about. It isn’t until people start dying that all of the cards Lark has held are revealed showing that no court is safe.

Lark is a character with a dark past that leads him to constantly put on a show to prevent anyone from looking too close. Unfortunately and fortunately he catches the eye of the Prince of Love, Arin, and the two find themselves drawn to each other and revealing truths that would otherwise stay buried. Lark uses sexuality as a weapon but feels his armor cracking when Arin lets him in.

Beautiful lie… He thought me beautiful, and a liar, a thorn on the stem of a rose.

Arin is a mystery to Lark as the prince behind the door. It isn’t until Arin approaches Lark in secret that you learn that he has been pulling the strings for a lot longer than anyone has realized. When tragedy strikes Arin is torn between loyalty, shame and desire.

He was too damn good, too brilliant, and everything I’d ruin, spoil, destroy.

This is a review I am keeping brief because as the layers unfolded and secrets were revealed each character grew in depth and my love for them. Things are not simple in the Courts of Love, War, Justice and Pain but this doesn’t mean that these characters aren’t meant to find happiness. With a cliffhanger that left me needing the next book right this second I am thrilled to say you got me again Ariana Nash.

5 stars for a dark twisty tale of Lark and Arin finding if any truth is beneath the façade.

clairehngo's review

adventurous dark funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75