Catherine Bybee - Fool Me Once review

I was sad when the Weekday Brides series was done, but was so excited for this new series from Catherine Bybee! This could not have been a better book! I was completely consumed by it and I devoured it in one sitting.  Yes, I'm a binge reader! And this book was so good that I couldn't put it down if I had tried! I love how Catherine makes the reader feel like she is there with the characters and is exploring the cruise and the many cities right along with them! I don't want to ruin this story for you by giving too much away, but just know you really need to one-click it right now. 

First off, I loved how Catherine wove the Weekday Brides ladies into this new book.  While, the reader gets to see them, they specifically aren't the main focus.  Lori works with them and is now on a mission for work, fun and sun on the high seas in the Mediterranean. 
The women she is cruising with have been her clients and she mothers them, but just wants them to be able to unwind without the press following them or them sharing too much information with strangers. Even though this group of women is unlikely, they have more in common than they first realize and it allows them to be free among themselves.   They are a good support system for each other when things go haywire.  Trina, Avery, Shannon and Lori form a bond on this trip and have each other's back.

As with other Bybee stories, this one has that underlying threat that you know is there and you can't see or touch it yet.  I enjoyed how she divulged that information scene-by-scene, and the reader knows there's an underlying darkness, but yet not sure what form that will take.  I also enjoyed Reed's presence among the women and I was cheering for him! Not only was he a great match for Lori, but he also kept an eye on them. I also liked how his purpose for being on the cruise wasn't given away right up front.  We had to dive into the story to see more to Reed's background.

I love how realistic Catherine's stories are and she writes in such a way that you feel like you know them and could be friends with them. I think that's why I devoured this book.  I didn't want to walk away from my friends! I loved the twists and the turns and the feels I went through while reading this book. This was a fantastic start to the series and I anxiously await future books! Hats off to Catherine for another amazing book! I HIGHLY recommend it! 


**ARC provided for my honest review**

From Weekday Brides to First Wives, a dazzling series about four women and their alliance of newfound friendship, unexpected love, and second chances.

Cynical divorce attorney Lori Cumberland lives by one motto: Love is grand, but divorce is a hundred grand. With one failed marriage under her own personal belt, Lori had fallen hard and early—and it isn’t something she plans on repeating. She’s content focusing on the temporary marriages of her rich and famous clients. When she joins some of her recent divorcées on a celebratory cruise, her only vow is fun, sun, and new friends. But Lori finds herself tempted by a jury of one.

For Reed Barlow, falling into the world of private investigation was easy. He knows the law and knows how to avoid breaking it—all while doing his job. His rule to live by? No emotion, no involvement…until Lori. His charming smile and cocky attitude distracts Lori and lowers her guard, which is exactly what Reed desires.


But what appears as a one-time-only flirtation may be a plot orchestrated by Reed. As he’s taking his investigation to a dangerous level, it’s Lori who could end up in jeopardy. Reed has only one shot for Lori to grant him a second chance. But if he comes clean with her, he blows his cover. And that just might cost him the opportunity for an alliance of family…and of love.