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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Hannah has once again crafted a book that is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking. "Fool Me Once" revolves around Gemma and Smith, who once meant the world to each other but drifted apart due to life's complications.
When Gemma finds herself in need of help, she turns to her best friend, the one person who has always been there for her. Smith, upon discovering the truth, is determined to uncover the lies he was told. His unwavering support for Gemma is heartwarming, as he patiently allows her to heal at her own pace.
I honestly don’t know how many times I cried throughout this book, The emotional journey Gemma undergoes is both painful and satisfying, showcasing her incredible strength and resilience, she was an incredibly strong character, one that you cannot help but admire.
Despite the heavy themes, the book retains the beloved hockey elements from Hannah's New England Bay Sharks series. The character development of Smith and his relationship with Gemma are beautifully portrayed, and the supporting characters add depth and humour to the story. The camaraderie among the hockey players and the solidarity among the women are particularly enjoyable.
There were so many emotions reading this book. This second-chance romance is filled with emotions, and Smith's possessiveness adds an intriguing layer to the narrative.
Returning to Hannah's work time and again has been a delightful experience, witnessing her growth as a writer.
Hannah does exceptionally well at tackling some incredibly challenging topics, handling each one with such respect and dignity. It's been an absolute pleasure to read her writing, and I eagerly anticipate the next book in this series!
4/5⭐️
2/5🌶️
Hannah has done it again!! She truly never misses for me. If she writes the book, I will devour it! She does an amazing job with tough subjects/topics in her books! This book does have a topic of domestic violence so keep in mind if that might be a trigger for you! Hannah did an amazing job writing Gemma’s experience and her story was BEAUTIFUL.
After reading Shoot Your Shot and got a little tease of what was to come with Gemma & Smith. I was so excited and Hannah didn't disappointment. Gemma is on the run from her ex-fiancé, who isn’t a good guy. He is an abuser and Gemma finally was able to find the courage to leave. Where does she end up at?! With her best friend Saylor. Who also happens to be Smith’s younger sister.
Gemma and Smith have a past until Smith ruined what they had. Six years later, he isn’t making that mistake again and will do everything to prove that Gemma can trust him. I love them. The way Smith will do anything for her. He will hurt whoever hurts her and doesn’t care what happens to him as long as she is safe. He will protect her and worship the way she deserves. He has my heart.
I loved storm! He was so protective over Gemma and helped her heal. That as long as storm was near her, she felt safe. Ugh LOVE LOVE LOVE. This series is so good and I can’t wait for what she has in store for the rest of this series.
Tropes:
🏒 Hockey Romance
💙 Second Chance
🏒 Best Friend’s Brother
💙 Heroine on the Run
🏒 Roommates to Lovers
💙 Fake Dating
🏒 Who Hurt You?
2/5🌶️
Hannah has done it again!! She truly never misses for me. If she writes the book, I will devour it! She does an amazing job with tough subjects/topics in her books! This book does have a topic of domestic violence so keep in mind if that might be a trigger for you! Hannah did an amazing job writing Gemma’s experience and her story was BEAUTIFUL.
After reading Shoot Your Shot and got a little tease of what was to come with Gemma & Smith. I was so excited and Hannah didn't disappointment. Gemma is on the run from her ex-fiancé, who isn’t a good guy. He is an abuser and Gemma finally was able to find the courage to leave. Where does she end up at?! With her best friend Saylor. Who also happens to be Smith’s younger sister.
Gemma and Smith have a past until Smith ruined what they had. Six years later, he isn’t making that mistake again and will do everything to prove that Gemma can trust him. I love them. The way Smith will do anything for her. He will hurt whoever hurts her and doesn’t care what happens to him as long as she is safe. He will protect her and worship the way she deserves. He has my heart.
I loved storm! He was so protective over Gemma and helped her heal. That as long as storm was near her, she felt safe. Ugh LOVE LOVE LOVE. This series is so good and I can’t wait for what she has in store for the rest of this series.
Tropes:
🏒 Hockey Romance
💙 Second Chance
🏒 Best Friend’s Brother
💙 Heroine on the Run
🏒 Roommates to Lovers
💙 Fake Dating
🏒 Who Hurt You?
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Book Review: Fool Me Once by Hannah Gray
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🔥🔥🔥.5
I received this book as an ARC, and all reviews and opinions are my own.
Smith has loved Gemma since high school, but when he’s on the brink of making it to the NHL, her father threatens him—demanding he leave so Gemma doesn’t waste her life chasing him. Heartbroken but determined to protect her future, Smith walks away, shattering both of them in the process.
Years later, Gemma finds herself trapped in an abusive relationship. After a terrifying brush with death, she escapes to the only safe place she knows—her best friend Saylor’s house, who also happens to be Smith’s sister. As Gemma tries to heal, Smith refuses to stand by this time. He’s determined to uncover the truth, protect her, and prove that he won’t make the same mistake twice.
Their love never faded, but now they must fight for each other, growing stronger and more mature in the process. This book tore my heart apart and then slowly pieced it back together. An emotional, gut-wrenching, and beautifully written second-chance romance that I couldn’t put down.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Smith Sawyer is something else. 😏 Hannah just writes better and better MMCs each book!
5⭐️ // 3🌶
- second chance
- best friend's brother
- forced proximity
- slow burn
Hannah Gray literally can do no wrong. She takes sensitive subjects and filthy men, puts them together and handles them with grace and creates a hell of a story. Her past 2 books in this series have touched on some pretty heavy and emotional subjects, that unfortunately a lot of people go through on a daily basis. But in my opinion Hannah has handled each with the respect and sensitivity they deserve.
I loved this third installment to the New England Bay Sharks series. Gemma and Smith have such a deep love story, it was amazing. You got all the goosebumps, swoons, gut feelings, and butterflies with these two. They were literally meant to be togther. And nothing was going to stop Smith from making sure they ended up together.
I don't want to go into too much detail on my feelings on Smith and how he handled Gemma's situation because I want new readers to get all the feeling organically and not go in with any influenced feelings or anticipations. But I loved Smith's character so freaking much. He is def top book boyfriend material.
I 1000000% recommend not only reading this book but all of this series. Hannah Gray just keeps delivering. I flew through this book and read it in almost under 24 hours. I simply could not put it down. Thank you to Hannah and Wordsmith Publicity for letting me read this in advanced.
5⭐️ // 3🌶
- second chance
- best friend's brother
- forced proximity
- slow burn
Hannah Gray literally can do no wrong. She takes sensitive subjects and filthy men, puts them together and handles them with grace and creates a hell of a story. Her past 2 books in this series have touched on some pretty heavy and emotional subjects, that unfortunately a lot of people go through on a daily basis. But in my opinion Hannah has handled each with the respect and sensitivity they deserve.
I loved this third installment to the New England Bay Sharks series. Gemma and Smith have such a deep love story, it was amazing. You got all the goosebumps, swoons, gut feelings, and butterflies with these two. They were literally meant to be togther. And nothing was going to stop Smith from making sure they ended up together.
I don't want to go into too much detail on my feelings on Smith and how he handled Gemma's situation because I want new readers to get all the feeling organically and not go in with any influenced feelings or anticipations. But I loved Smith's character so freaking much. He is def top book boyfriend material.
I 1000000% recommend not only reading this book but all of this series. Hannah Gray just keeps delivering. I flew through this book and read it in almost under 24 hours. I simply could not put it down. Thank you to Hannah and Wordsmith Publicity for letting me read this in advanced.
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
“Smith Sawyer might have fooled me once, but I’ll never be stupid enough to let him do it again.”
5⭐️
3🌶️
If Hannah Gray writes it, I am going to read it. This book is beautifully written, raw truth. She never ceases to amaze me.
Gemma and Sawyer briefly dated in high school until Sawyer broke her heart and left for college. Gemma is back running from her abusive ex-fiancé and ended up back in Sawyer’s life. Sawyer wants to protect her, so he devises a plan to keep her with him. He is trying to help her pick up the pieces and put her life back together again, but Gemma isn’t the girl he once knew. He knows she’s in there and he’s determined to find her. Sawyer is fighting for the one that got away.
Hannah has a gift of taking a tough topic and writing it into the most beautiful story, and this is a perfect example. This story isn’t just about domestic abuse. It’s about healing, repairing relationships, regret, and fighting for the love of your life. Smith did it all. He gave her what she needed and let her build it from there. Smith Sawyer is the ultimate book boyfriend, and Gemma is a pillar of strength. This book was awe-inspiring. Grab your tissues, y’all. This series just keeps getting better and better.
Tropes: hockey, second chance, trauma recovery, forced proximity, fake dating, best friend’s brother.
Thank you so much Hannah & Wordsmith for the ARC!
5⭐️
3🌶️
If Hannah Gray writes it, I am going to read it. This book is beautifully written, raw truth. She never ceases to amaze me.
Gemma and Sawyer briefly dated in high school until Sawyer broke her heart and left for college. Gemma is back running from her abusive ex-fiancé and ended up back in Sawyer’s life. Sawyer wants to protect her, so he devises a plan to keep her with him. He is trying to help her pick up the pieces and put her life back together again, but Gemma isn’t the girl he once knew. He knows she’s in there and he’s determined to find her. Sawyer is fighting for the one that got away.
Hannah has a gift of taking a tough topic and writing it into the most beautiful story, and this is a perfect example. This story isn’t just about domestic abuse. It’s about healing, repairing relationships, regret, and fighting for the love of your life. Smith did it all. He gave her what she needed and let her build it from there. Smith Sawyer is the ultimate book boyfriend, and Gemma is a pillar of strength. This book was awe-inspiring. Grab your tissues, y’all. This series just keeps getting better and better.
Tropes: hockey, second chance, trauma recovery, forced proximity, fake dating, best friend’s brother.
Thank you so much Hannah & Wordsmith for the ARC!
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced