‘Some husbands bought their wives flowers, others bought jewellery. Mine? He returned the things he stole.’I should have known better. Hot guys didn’t hit on big girls without an agenda. They didn’t approach them in bars and talk their way into your bed. They also didn’t make you feel beautiful and proud of your curves. But I was going through a dry spell—actually, I’d kind of been going through … kind of been going through a dry spell all my life—and dry spells sucked. Of course I slept with him.
I was such a fool.
I believed his lines. Fell for his easy smile; the man swept me off my feet, rocked my world, then robbed me blind.
I really needed a three date rule.
Angry and embarrassed, I engaged the help of my best friend to track the thief down and make him return what he took. But when I found him, he wasn’t alone….
What does a girl do when she finds not one thief, but an entire family?
She marries into it, of course.
Find out in Fool Me Twice, a full length standalone novel from bestselling Australian author, Lilliana Anderson.
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I love romantic comedies! Nothing is sexier than funny!
Short review. Mixed feelings. The chemistry between Nate and Holland is definitely steamy but that’s kind of the problem, there is a whole lot of steaminess but not enough of them getting to know one another when aren’t having sex and you know fighting. At times I felt the book was draining, there was so much going on all at once that none of actions in the book was allowed to breathe. The secondary characters Nate’s brothers are a interesting group, I didn’t like Nate’s mom or how she treated Holland.
*5 Stars*
I got this book from Lilliana Anderson at BBTB earlier this year, on the recommendation of a friend, and I’m kicking myself for waiting so long to read it. It hooked me right from the start, I could instantly tell it was going to be a fun one to read.
“One night with this guy, and I’d be singing Salt n Pepa’s ‘Push It’ for weeks.”
I liked Holland and felt that she was a relatable character. She’s a curvy girl with those same negative thoughts that we all have about our bodies, but she also has a lot of spunk and humour as well. I also liked Alesha and I am really intrigued by her side of the story and can’t wait to read her book, which is next in the series.
I wasn’t too sure about Nate, and honestly, I’m still not sure how I feel about his character. He was great in some ways, but others I was kind of like..ummm…not sure how to feel about what you just said/did.
The rest of the Cartwright family are also a bit of an enigma, and I will be keen to get their stories as well.
I was so enamoured with this book, that before I had even finished the first two chapters, I had ordered PB’s of the rest of the series, so I am sitting here impatiently waiting for the day when my mail arrives hehe. I really need to know what happens with all these characters.
This book also threw me for a loop a few times, with things I was definitely not expecting to happen, and one of those in particular was the ending. Fool Me Twice will have you laughing, it will have you frustrated, and it will leave you intrigued. But most of all it will leave you wanting more, and I can’ wait to devour the rest of these books.
Fool Me Twice was an unusual tale and I enjoyed this gem of a story. It was engrossing and had me hooked from beginning to end. This is the first book in the Cartwright Brothers series and I can’t wait to start the other books. I have to admit I’m intrigued by all the brothers and I want to know their story. This was Nate and Hollands story. I loved Nate but Holland was a little to airy for my taste as she did some really silly things in this book.
With fantastic characters, steamy scenes, action, drama, angst and some hilarious moments, this storyline was one I have not read before. I thoroughly enjoyed this unconventional romance and would highly recommend it to all lovers of contemporary romance.
I listened to the audiobook version of this novel which was narrated by Amy Soakes. It took me awhile to get into this narration. I did not care for the voice the narrator used for the female characters, it was a bit to high pitched (squeaky) for my liking, the rest of the narration however was good.
HollandNate! Great Story, Great Audible Listen4.5 Stars
Fool Me Twice
Cartwright Brothers, Book 1
By: Lilliana Anderson
Narrated by: Amy Soakes
Enjoyable with some hilarious LOL moments! Lilliana Anderson created an original story, with interesting storylines and characters. It is the type of story that has you laughing at times and then rolling your eyes at others. Sure some of it is over the top, like who can fall victim to being robbed the same way twice. Oh yea, that would be Holland, I really liked Holland, she was especially her spirit and personalty, I was so glad the circumstances she fell in did not break her and she stayed true to herself. And then there is Nate, I loved the chemistry between them from the start. While I did not care for his family business and despised his mother I did love the way the story played out and the direction the author took it. This is a fast paced story, it is entertaining and has drama, angst, twists, some great humor and hot romance. I am looking for forward to hear more about those Cartwright Brothers, hope their books become available on Audible soon. Liliana Anderson, thank you for this great & entertaining story.
I listened to the Audible edition, Amy Soakes s a wonderful narrator and voice performer. She brings the characters to life, gives each their own unique voice and personality. She is a skilled and entertaining storyteller, a pleasure to listen to. Thanks for great listen
Fool Me Twice
Cartwright Brothers, Book 1
By: Lilliana Anderson
Narrated by: Amy Soakes
There is something to be said for a family of crime that can be so crooked, yet make me laugh out loud! The Cartwright family did just that! Holland is a bigger girl, slightly awkward and getting older. But she can sing! When Nate Cartwright hears her, he immediately is taken by her. Or is he taking from her? This story from the beginning is quirky and made me smile. Holland is your average woman, has confidence issues, but when provoked is fearless. I loved her tonacity, chasing after Nate without a plan and getting herself into a sticky predicament. I loved Nate with his incredible charm. Though questionable employment, his personality and good looks would win any woman over, so I certainly can understand Holland’s quandary! Add in the brothers, his mother and Holland’s best friend, and there is chaos and love. A fun listen and will leave you wanting to get to know the next Cartwright better.
Amy Soakes does an amazing job narrating this book. Her American accent is spot on and her pace is perfect. I love her comedic timing, each joke and passage bringing a smile to my face. Its a great listen.
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This is a tricky story to review.
Holland meets Nate at a bar and takes him home as you do. After sleeping with him she has all her belongings stolen, how you ask I won’t spoil that.
Feeling foolish and pissed off she’s determined to find him to get back a precious heirloom. She finds him and his attitude pissed me off.
He was very blasé about the whole issues. Excuse me, you stole her possessions and fobs it off as ‘we keep the insurance company in business’.
She falls for his bs/charm again, sleeps with him and is robbed again which I thought was quite comical.
Fooled twice, most would think is she stupid but I didn’t feel she was. She went with the moment and unfortunately was duped again. Several things after this fact didn’t sit well with and again I will not spoil, some to me seemed far-fetched.
* ARC PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR FOR AN HONEST REVIEW *
This is a tricky story to review. Holland meets Nate at a bar and takes him home as you do. After sleeping with him has all her belongings stolen, how you ask I won’t spoil that. Feeling foolish and pissed off she’s determined to find him to get back a precious heirloom. She finds him and his attitude pissed me off. He was very blasé about the whole issues. Excuse me, you stole her possessions and fobs it off as ‘we keep the insurance company in business’. She falls for his bs/charm again, sleeps with him and is robbed again which I thought was quite comical. Fooled twice, most would think is she stupid but I didn’t feel she was. She went with the moment and unfortunately was duped again. Several things after this fact didn’t sit well with and again I will not spoil, some to me seemed far fetched
I loved that this book didn’t follow the norm for the male lead. In this book, the male lead is a thief, who steals from the female lead, not once but twice! It certainly gives you mixed feelings as you read it. One minute you aren’t sure you like him because of what he does, but then the next, you find him to be charming and romantic.
A great, funny read, which leaves you wanting more. I hope the author writes a story for each of the brothers as I think they could be quite interesting.
There is just so much about this book that I maybe shouldn’t have liked or that shouldn’t have worked. However, it is written with such skill and depth that, despite and maybe because of this, I loved the book.
You do need to suspend your disbelief a little with this book, if you can do that what you will get is one fast paced, twisty, emotional, steamy and funny read. The author even alluded to the crazy plot at one point
I suppose it was the same logic that girls in horror films subscribed to.
Yes, there were times when I almost rolled my eyes at either the actions of the main characters or the plot line but it’s worth letting this go and just enjoying the ride.
The book is written entirely from Holland’s POV so whilst I totally fell in love with her,
– now she knew that big girls scored hot guys too. I was the best role model ever.
And actually she was, because whilst she had to make unpleasant decisions for her own safety, she never ever lost sight of her true self. I didn’t get as good a feel of Nate, and TBH at times he came across as both selfish and a touch arrogant. Rest assured that guy totally redeemed himself by the end of the book.
The story starts of really light and bounced along like the best of rom-coms. When Holland is robbed for the second time, the book takes a darker turn. There are still some very humorous moments, with plenty of giggles along the way but there is also angst and unhappiness. I really had no idea where the story would go and there were so many little twists and surprised in the second half of the book I wasn’t sure how the issues between Nate and Holland would be resolved, if they would be resolved, whether Nate was actually our hero (#TeamToby), would he give it all up to become a carpenter (until the library ladder incident!) and whether I would be disappointed in Holland’s ultimate decisions.
OMG this story had me gripped and I flew through it in one sitting. The ending was perfect. Though I’m happy to see that Alesha and Sam will be getting their story, as I really need to know why that girl’s personality took a 180 degree turn.
And if you’re reading this Ms Anderson I’m begging for a HEA for Toby because he totally stole my heart. #TobyNeedsLove.
It would be criminal to not let this book steal your heart and make you laugh
Fool Me Twice is my first experience of Australian author Lilliana Anderson and I can safely say it won’t be my last. This story had everything I like – a relatable, strong and sassy heroine, a swoon-worthy hero with some big decisions to make, some absolutely hilarious laugh out loud moments, steamy sex scenes and a cast of side characters I’m looking forward to learning more about!!
Another big plus for me was the Australian setting – as an Aussie myself, I’m in love with Australian authors who set their books in their own backyard – and the city of Melbourne and the seaside town of Torquay make a perfect backdrop for this tale.
Holland is one hell of a heroine and has quickly become one of my favourite of the year his far. She’s not confident, she’s not super skinny, she’s not good with guys – but all of them doesn’t matter because she has a keen sense of humour, a strong moral compass, is witty and sassy beyond belief, and she can sign damn well too. Plus some of the best lines of the book come right out of her mouth:
“Normally I was like a ninja at the gym – you never saw me there”
And our hero – he takes a while to warm up to (you’ll have to read the book to see what I mean) but he definitely turns into a guy I could understand, respect and clearly cares for the wonderful Holland. As for the rest of the motley crew – you’ll meet a crime family that rivals the best of the best (we’ll at least in terms of loyalty and threats), a loyal best friend who ends up in the wrong place at the wrong (or maybe right ) time and an Aunt who you’ll want for your own!!
I’m super excited to know this is the first in a series and I’m looking forward to reading more by Lilliana. I wasn’t fooled by Fool Me Twice but I’m definitely a sucker for more
nicandbooks
Amazon/Goodreads
I absolutely LOVED this book!!! It was one of the most hilarious, sexiest and sweetest romance book I have read so far this year. I love it even more because I have never read a book quite like this one. I loved the storyline, and the characters were fantastic. The chemistry between Nate and Holland was undeniable and the sex was off the charts. Alesha was a real ride or die friend, and I enjoyed her a lot. I also enjoyed Nate’s brothers Sam, Toby, Abbot and Kristian and I definitely look forward to reading their stories in the future. When it comes to making things disappear these characters are pros, and I have never been so excited to see things disappear. It was actually some of the funniest moments I have ever read. I was always ready for the next hit just so I can get a good laugh. However, when it comes to life choices and love sometimes you have to chose what matters most and what you are willing to lose, but a choice must be made. The ending of this book was fantastic and this story will not disappoint. If I could recommend one book that I’ve read and loved so far this year this book would be it. This book can be read as a standalone and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series Fools Rush In.