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A review by lifeinthebooklane
Fool Me Once by Ariana Nash
4.0
Brief Summary
I think the author has invented a new genre of liars-to-lovers with this one! The bar has been set fairly high by her, so whilst this didn't wow me quite as much as some of her previous work, it was still an amazing, twisty tale that kept me turning pages. My mind didn't wander, I didn't want to skim parts and it was easy to pick back up again when I'd put it aside for a while.
Themes and Trigger Warnings
The main themes are good against evil and found family. The book contains scenes of both physical and sexual violence towards one of the protagonists, off-page incest and mentions of rape by a side character.
Star Rating
As mentioned above, this author has written several of my all-time favourite books, so anything that doesn't hit the same heights can feel disappointing, Then I remember to compare this to work by other authors and realised that it very much deserves 4 stars.
The Characters
Lark gave me Lysander vibes whilst Arin was a soft-hearted Vasili and therein lay the reason this was a good rather than great read. It held a few too many echoes of previous books with the "trust you/don't trust you" merry-go-round. For many Nash fans this will be a huge bonus, as her previous books and characters are massively popular. I liked that both Arin and Lark had vulnerabilities they hid with lies, subterfuge and a mean sneer, Nash's male protagonists are frequently polar opposites but that wasn't the case here.
Draven is an unknown element, I have a very soft spot for him and that really worries me because this author has a nasty track record with beloved side characters. I'm praying for a positive outcome! Razak makes a great mysterious villain, the jury's out on whether I think Lark should know him a little better than he does. I didn't get a clear sense of how long Lark had been "kept" by Razak before being sent to the Court of Love.
The Plot
As always, the plot is both layered and complex, full of bluffs, double bluffs and lies galore. I certainly didn't find it predictable or trite. The pace was good throughout, though the sexual tension didn't quite hit the mark for me in the first third, I would have liked more heat even if it was unrequited/slow-burn.
The Writing & World Building
Ms Nash produces a beautiful, emotional and powerful narrative throughout. Not once does it ever descend into purple prose, but rather it flows lyrically, creating an intriguing world whilst also building emotion. There wasn't a great deal of information about the different Courts, I suspect this is in part to avoid plot spoilers but also because the Courts are somewhat aloof and socially distant from one another.
The story ends on a soft cliffhanger and will leave you wanting more of Lark, Arin and Dravan.
Absolutely no pressure, Ms Nash, but...
:
please
I think the author has invented a new genre of liars-to-lovers with this one! The bar has been set fairly high by her, so whilst this didn't wow me quite as much as some of her previous work, it was still an amazing, twisty tale that kept me turning pages. My mind didn't wander, I didn't want to skim parts and it was easy to pick back up again when I'd put it aside for a while.
Themes and Trigger Warnings
The main themes are good against evil and found family. The book contains scenes of both physical and sexual violence towards one of the protagonists, off-page incest and mentions of rape by a side character.
Star Rating
As mentioned above, this author has written several of my all-time favourite books, so anything that doesn't hit the same heights can feel disappointing, Then I remember to compare this to work by other authors and realised that it very much deserves 4 stars.
The Characters
Lark gave me Lysander vibes whilst Arin was a soft-hearted Vasili and therein lay the reason this was a good rather than great read. It held a few too many echoes of previous books with the "trust you/don't trust you" merry-go-round. For many Nash fans this will be a huge bonus, as her previous books and characters are massively popular. I liked that both Arin and Lark had vulnerabilities they hid with lies, subterfuge and a mean sneer, Nash's male protagonists are frequently polar opposites but that wasn't the case here.
Draven is an unknown element, I have a very soft spot for him and that really worries me because this author has a nasty track record with beloved side characters. I'm praying for a positive outcome! Razak makes a great mysterious villain, the jury's out on whether I think Lark should know him a little better than he does. I didn't get a clear sense of how long Lark had been "kept" by Razak before being sent to the Court of Love.
The Plot
As always, the plot is both layered and complex, full of bluffs, double bluffs and lies galore. I certainly didn't find it predictable or trite. The pace was good throughout, though the sexual tension didn't quite hit the mark for me in the first third, I would have liked more heat even if it was unrequited/slow-burn.
The Writing & World Building
Ms Nash produces a beautiful, emotional and powerful narrative throughout. Not once does it ever descend into purple prose, but rather it flows lyrically, creating an intriguing world whilst also building emotion. There wasn't a great deal of information about the different Courts, I suspect this is in part to avoid plot spoilers but also because the Courts are somewhat aloof and socially distant from one another.
The story ends on a soft cliffhanger and will leave you wanting more of Lark, Arin and Dravan.
Absolutely no pressure, Ms Nash, but...
:
please