I adored this heartfelt story. Such thoughtful, well developed characters who really grew and evolved over the course of the book. I couldn't put it down and read it in under 24 hours. Thank you so much Berkley and NetGalley for my copy. Cannot wait to tell everyone I know to read it.

This book is everything I want in a rom-com book. The characters were lovable and realistic, and the situations they got themselves into were relatable and funny. I enjoyed how the author spanned the book over a number of years and realistically portrayed how their lives changed through those time periods. This was definitely a five star romance for me.

Thank you Berkley Pub for the free book! #BerkleyPartner #Berkley

This one was the definition of right person, wrong time for what spans for nearly a decade. Rob and Natalie felt that pull to each other almost immediately, but of course something goes wrong. The first time it’s finding that Rob is the one that gave Natalie’s book her first one-star review. From there, things just kind of snowball as they meet up at friend events the following years since their best friends are married to each other.
Each time they meet, they are at different points in their life— career wise, relationship wise, etc. and it just never fits, even though the attraction is there. It doesn’t until it does. It’s one of those “friendships” where everyone sees it, and knows that the other people they are with aren’t “the one” because it’s not them.
But when they do finally get together, it’s as monumentous as it is sweet. They are both at a point in their lives where they have the ability to do what would be required to be together, and they are both finally ready to fight for it.

One star romance with a one star review. The relationship was dragged on and the romance was, well I’m not sure where it was. The characters were incredibly annoying and not likable. Particularly the main character Natalie. I feel like the writer was trying to be like another popular author but it didn’t work. And then what really got me
Was the characters finally get their stuff together but it wasn’t until the last pages.

This isn't a typical romance story. This story unfolds over YEARS. The bit about the one star review happens early in the book and isn't really talked about again besides the fact that this couples relationship with each other is kinda based on it in that our fmc is pissed at our mmc and resents him for many years because of it all while harboring feelings for him that neither of them know how to work through.

I was not necessarily a fan of them together and didn't feel much chemistry between them. It pissed me off how many years we skipped between them seeing each other again.

I did like the side characters stories a lot more! The writing was good!

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy!

I admire how Hankin has pulled off a diversity of genres among her output and done it well. This was a nice comic romance that was believable, and if the characters were frustrating at times, it was for the right reasons

This isn’t really just a romance—it's more like a deep dive into Natalie’s journey of self-discovery, with a dash of romance simmering in the background.
Natalie starts off as a total mess, obsessed with her best friend in a not so healthy way and totally dodging accountability.
Her growth throughout the book is impressive though, and by the end, she’s way more relatable and almost redeemed.
The banter between characters? Absolutely top-notch!
The story is well-crafted, with secondary characters that feel so real and add so much depth. This book surprised me in the best way, blending emotional growth with some sharp, funny moments.
it’s a bit more women’s fiction than straight-up romance, but totally worth the read!

Laura Hankin’s writing makes me so happy. She has such a knack of writing such realistic and genuine characters and making me fall in love with them! Even though I didn’t necessarily fall in love with the FMC in this book I still thought this story was fresh, fun, and swoony! This was an excellent slow burn romance that also focused on how everyone moved through life differently. This was entertaining and life affirming!

Thank you Berkley for the ARC!

More slice of life than romcom, but I loved this novel. No surprise there, since Laura Hankin's other works have all been 4⭐ and 5⭐for me.

The writing is full of heart and the characters shine like always. I really enjoyed following the cast as they navigated life – all its ups and downs and beauty and craziness. The author nailed what it's like to be in your late 20s/early 30s, including the feelings of stagnancy and self-doubt that come with it.

So much of the book resonated with me and perfectly captured how I feel. Reading it felt like a balm on my soul and was exactly what I needed.

Don’t let the title fool you: ONE STAR ROMANCE is actually a five star read.

While I like a carefree and fun rom-com, I’ve found myself gravitating towards those that can deftly tackle topics like career, family, and coming of age while delivering a love story I want to root for.

Natalie and Rob are polar opposites:a free-spirited writer and a rigid academic. The only thing they have in common is their mutual best friends who just got engaged. Despite their differences, Natalie and Rob have an undeniable pull, until Natalie discovers that Rob left a one-star review on her just-published novel. Luckily, they’ll never have to meet again, right? Wrong. Over the years, they reconnect every time their now-married best friends have a life event.

When I read this book a few weeks ago, I was on an Amtrak that was delayed by not one, not two, but three hours. The one thing that saved me while we were stuck on the train with WiFi that barely worked? The eARC of this book on my Kindle, which I promptly devoured, then had to hide my misty eyes from my fellow passengers because yeah–the emotion of this one truly sneaks up on ya.

It’s hard for me to verbalize exactly why I adored this book so much. On paper, it has everything I love—the aforementioned romance requirements, a main character who is a writer, a loooong timeline where we get to see our characters grow. We meet Natalie and Rob when they’re coming to adulthood and follow them through the messy parts of their 20s. Maybe it’s because Hankin tapped into the season of life I’m living through right now—the struggle of finding a career that you love, the question of where you’re going to live and who you’re going to spend your life with and the uncertainty of whether or not you’re doing it on the right timeline.

On a more tangible note, I was obsessed with the structure of dropping in on Natalie and Rob during important life events. I was shocked by how emotional the end made me because the rest of the book was HILARIOUS. Loved every second of it and want to reread it all over again.

REVIEW: One-Star Romance

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book was an easy 5-star read for me. No question. My only question is: Why aren’t more people raving about this book?? It might just be the best second chance romance I’ve ever read! 💖

SUMMARY: Natalie and Rob meet when their best friends get engaged. There’s instant chemistry, but they stay friends until Natalie’s first book gets published—only for Rob to publicly slam it with a one-star review 😱. Over a decade, through life’s ups and downs, they keep crossing paths at their friends’ significant life events. So, is there a second chance for these one-star-crossed lovers? 💫

This book hit home for me because I’ve lived through that much time and seen how people can change over 10 years. I loved that these two had the potential to be a great couple from the start, but it just couldn’t happen until they both grew and evolved individually 🌱.

I ALSO loved that the story started with their first meeting and moved forward in chronological order. That’s what usually confuses me about second-chance romances—I get lost with all the jumping back and forth through time! 🌀

If you’re a fan of Emily Henry or Abby Jimenez, this is the perfect book for you! 📚✨

In some ways the journey of her finding herself was a positive but boy was she an awful friend and girlfriend. I'm not sure if her character was fully redeemed or if she was just less awful. How was Angus the true hero in all of this? Thankfully Rob had his friend's back but you know got distracted because his other brain was making decisions. Isn't it written though that you gotta hate someone forever if they talked trash about your bestie. Idk but they spend at least 95% of the book with other people and I kinda wished he didn't give her the benefit of trying 😒

Natalie is an aspiring author and meets Rob at her best friend’s surprise engagement party. They have accepted their roles as the maid of honor/best man at their friends’ wedding. When the wedding finally rolls around, Rob is short and cold with Natalie. A few hours later, Natalie looks at her GoodReads and notices a new review on her book, with a rating of one star. After discovering it’s Rob, she’s furious and wants to know why. Over the years, they teeter the line of fixing this impaired “friendship”, while they both work on their own personal growth in life, love, and their careers.

I am a big Laura Hankin fan. The Daydreams was one of my favorite books in 2023, so I was ecstatic to see this release on the horizon for 2024. I did beg Berkley to send it to me 😂, but requested it immediately from my library. I loved the set-up for this book and how it follows along Natalie’s best friend’s milestones, instead of her own, while she is struggling with career and unlucky in love. It’s the perfect depiction of how we are all on different timelines in life. While it was a romance, I loved the personal struggles and growth each character exhibited. We love character development 🤌🏼 I had no doubt Laura would hit this out of the park. I laughed, I cried, I loved. I can’t wait for the next one!

I absolutely loved this newest book from Laura Hankin - her books may not be for everyone but they seem to always hit the spot for me!

What would you do if you found out your best friend’s future husband and best man who you had to walk down the aisle with had given your debut novel a one star review?? That’s the premise of this book, but in actuality it’s about a whole lot more.

I’ll start by saying this: this book may be marketed as a romance, but it doesn’t read like one. This felt like a really beautifully written contemporary/women’s fiction book, and although it had romance elements, it was more about the journey that Natalie takes over the course of the story.

This is, at its core, a story about love in all its forms. It’s a story about two people who may be right for each other, but can’t seem to get the timing right. It’s about friendships and the way they morph and change over the course of our lives. This book takes place over the course of 10 years as we follow Natalie’s career, love life, and friendship with her best friend Gabby, and I loved getting to know her and witness her progression.

I loved how full of humor this book was while also unexpectedly hitting me right in my emotions. I also loved how fully fleshed out these characters were: Angus needs to be protected at all costs!! We need more Angus!!

At the end of the day, I loved this story and the way it was told. I loved the self-discovery journey at the center of it and the way the romance elements fit so seamlessly within it. I highly recommend this book!

This was a fun book, and I really appreciated the opportunity to read it! I will recommend this book.

Though romantic comedies aren’t usually my go-to genre anymore, *One Star Review* managed to hold my attention and deliver a satisfying story. The dynamic between Natalie and Rob, from their initial clash to their gradual understanding of each other, is engaging. Their journey from adversaries to a potential match is filled with humorous and heartwarming moments, capturing the essence of how love can be found in the most unexpected places.

The book explores themes of personal growth, the impact of criticism, and the complexities of relationships, making it more than just a typical rom-com. While it may not have reignited my passion for the genre, it was a fine read that offered a pleasant escape and a reminder that even imperfect matches can create a perfect story.

Natalie is a writer struggling to make ends meet. She works a multitude of jobs so that she could pay the bills while squeezing out spare moments to write. When her best friend/roommate Gabby gets engaged to Angus and quickly moves out, Natalie is concerned he may not be the right guy. At an engagement event she meets Rob, Angus’s best friend and humorless academic. Easy on the eyes, she considers a little harmless flirting and looks forward to seeing him at future wedding events. Natalie then pours her lonely heart into her writing and miracles do happen - her novel gets published. At the wedding, confident that her real career has finally begun, Natalie is excited to see Mr. Smarty Pants again.When she figures out that Rob left her a one star review on Goodreads, Natalie is consumed with rage. As the years pass through home celebrations, holidays and children, Natalie is brought into the fold of Gabby’s new family, which often includes Rob. Even though the chemistry between them is unavoidable the bitter truth slowly unravels. For me this story was less a romance and more about the evolution and meaning of female friendship as life changes. None of the characters were very likable and even though it was a quick read I was not invested in the outcome. It definitely deserves more than a one star, but the best I could offer is three.

I'll admit I read this about 2 months ago and it was one of my favorite romance reads of the summer. I personally loved the timeline centered on their mutual friends' relationship milestones. The writing is witty and the character development for Nat and Rob kept me turning the pages. There is an enemies-to-lovers trope, but it's better developed, in my opinion, and the emotions that this book wades through carry enough weight to bring the reader along but not so much as to bog them down.
This is great for someone who likes books by Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez, or Katherine Center.
Thanks so much for the ARC! I'm looking forward to some time where I can reread this now that is released.

I am not a fan of romance novels but I do read them once in a blue moon. I haven’t found the formula that I enjoy yet. This was ok for me. I actually never felt invested in both Nat and Rob story. It might be me, but the story line of main characters in their late 20s complaining and crying about what their lives are and what are they doing with their time is not my cup of tea. Thanks for the copy!

I don’t know what people are raving about this book. Honestly, I don’t love this book as much as other readers did. I felt that this book needed more than what we were given. How am I supposed to care about the main character's progress or their relationship when it’s a few chapters every few years? Explain to me. Like, seriously.

I can’t connect to the main character when I just get bits of her throughout the years with a few chapters in between. Like, how am I supposed to know her? We only get a glimpse into her character while she mainly talks about her friendship with her best friend instead of her.

And the relationship is literally a joke. They barely talk to each other. Just a few conversations in between. And they are supposed to be in love even if they were opposite of each other? I’m confused and speechless.