This book ya'll!!!!!!!!!! Even though this is different from Laura Hankins usual books she kills the romance dept as well!!!!!!!!!! I loved and hated these characters but was rooting for all of them at the same time. That is the best part of romance novels in my opinion.

A one day read!! Rare for me but it hooked me right from the start and I just flew through it. I’m pretty sure this is Laura Hankin’s first rom-com, and I hope she writes more like this!

The shifting relationship between the two main characters over nearly ten years is beautifully done, especially seeing Natalie grow from a typical twenty-something into so much more. I appreciated getting both POVs throughout the book, which painted a realistic picture of growing up.

I liked this one . I’m glad I picked it up. Haley Pham recommended it and I’m glad she did. Very easy and fast paced

Really relatable romcom for the late 20s & 30 something’s who feel like everyone around them is moving forward, but you’re stuck. Resonated with me as this is something my friends & I have actively been going through in our own lives.

A sweet love story that shows the love between friends as well as romantic love.

Highly recommend

One Star Romance? More like Five Stars Angst, am I rite??? But seriously, the angst and slow burn were too good. I think a lot of slow burn authors should take some notes from this book, because the tension was delicious and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since finishing it. I do get a little sad though when I think about how long Natalie and Robert went without being together and kind of just orbiting and wanting each other fiercely for 10 years. When things finally aligned, I was so relieved, I was shipping the heck out of them and loved how everything ended up. I also really enjoyed that this book wasn’t just heavily focused on romance, but on strong, female friendships and how soulmates don’t always have to be romantic. I really really liked One Star Romance!

Thank you to Berkley Romance, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy!

Hankin has a knack for developing compelling characters, and One Star Romance is no exception. I would describe this book to be contemporary romance, and stylistically it reminded me of Emily Henry. Though I wasn’t expecting the latest Laura Hankin to be so far into romance territory, there were still plenty of things I enjoyed about One Star Romance.

The story spans across nearly a decade and is told in seven parts, beginning in 2013 and checking back in every one-to-two years through 2021. In 2013, Natalie and her best friend Gabby are headed out to celebrate Gabby’s birthday in New York, when the man Natalie doesn’t think is good enough for her best friend proposes. The same night that Angus and Gabby get engaged, Natalie meets his best friend, Rob.

This sets off the central tension of the story, and it isn’t what you think when you hear “enemies-to-lovers”. The central story (in my opinion) was actually around Natalie’s journey to find herself and her grief of losing the closeness she and Gabby shared when they were both single and trying to find their way in life. Natalie is judgmental of Angus, but eventually she realizes that Angus isn’t the problem, it’s that she still sees Gabby as her person, while Gabby’s person is now Angus.

This is a relatable experience for many people as they grow out of the young and single phase of friendships and it shifts to a different type of friendship. Natalie and Gabby are still close, but Natalie is no longer the person that Gabby confides every detail of her life to. They no longer live together and hang out every day. This is part of growing up, but it’s a part that has sadness to it, particularly when one person moves to the next phase of life before the other one.

Wrapped around this life change are a few other things that get caught up in everything. First, Natalie is an aspiring writer, but she hasn’t seen publishing success yet. Gabby and Natalie related over their creative pursuits, but Gabby eventually leaves artistic aspirations for a job in advertising. Natalie struggles with this new grown up and evolved version of Gabby. Rather than Hankin taking the obvious pathway of Gabby being disingenuous, this is truly a story about Natalie being on a different development timeline than Gabby through their twenties and how that can lead to feeling left behind.

Second and related to the first, Natalie ends up writing a book that gets published and she draws from what she knows. Which in this case, is a thinly veiled story about two best friends suffering through one of them getting engaged to a man who is wrong for her. Do you see the inspiration? This is what prompts the one star review from Rob, the best friend who I briefly mentioned earlier but who hasn’t come up again until now despite being the love interest. The reason for that is that by the end of the book, I felt this was more of a story about Natalie and her growth, rather than a enemies-to-lovers romance story.

Hankin does a great job showing Natalie growing up across the ten year span (it’s actually under ten years but I’m rounding up). Natalie has the immaturity of an early-twenty-something at the beginning. Feeling neglected, she takes out her feelings in a book and thinks no one will pick up on it. But it turns out Rob picked up on it, and as he points out—it seems Gabby may have as well. This all comes to fruition towards the end of the story, but I won’t spoil that. What I want to say is that Hankin writes a woman who grows and matures before our eyes in a way that felt authentic.

By the time things come together for Natalie and Rob, they’ve both changed in many ways, but also have become their true selves. This isn’t a story of two people who communicate too poorly to realize their feelings. This is a story about two people who aren’t matured to the point where they can be together. Yet. I’d argue that if they had gotten together years earlier, it wouldn’t have worked out because they were both caught up in their own growing up.

A sweet story with authentic characters who mature in their relationships and as individuals across the arc of the book. I thought this was well-written and compelling. This is a rom-com in many ways, but it also has a lot of character development and depth that can be lacking in some parts of that genre.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.

I think this is a very special kind of book. I went in expecting something so much different than what I got but ended up enjoying it so much more than I would have if it went the predictable route.

Although this is not a perfect 5 star read, there is so much I loved about this book. For one I liked that even though this is not as much of a romance as I thought it would be, this is a truly romantic story. It's a book about falling in love with yourself and not just the partner you choose or the friends that you have.

Natalie and Rob's relationship is not central to the plot and it would stand strong without their storyline but I am glad I got to see these characters become more than acquaintances with long term grudges against each other.

Their relationship is also a slow burn that lasts years of hardly seeing each other, serious relationships, as well as dreams failed and achieved yet at the end of everything, they find each other. It felt like something that could be real while also maintaining the charm of fiction.

In regards to Natalie and Gabby's relationship, I wish there was more growth on Natalie's part. She has a serious dependency issue when it comes to Gabby and that should have been addressed more. I also think there should have been more of a discussion between Angus and Natalie about her book and how it made him feel after finding out the truth (I won't spoil anything). In these ways, I think Natalie needs more character development.

Despite these flaws, I was enraptured with this book. I wanted to know more every time I turned the page and I appreciate any book that can capture my attention to that degree. With that said, I highly recommend One-Star Romance.

4/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I wouldn't necessarily classify this book as a romance, exactly, but it certainly is romantic, and quite the slow build (it takes almost a decade for these characters to get their HEA!). I had read some reviews before going into this book, so I felt prepared on that front, and was able to enjoy the book for what it was, instead of expecting a straight up romance plot. This book is definitely character driven, and these characters are messy and flawed and make questionable decisions, and honestly, I love them for it, because it makes them feel more real. Who hasn't made poor decisions in their life, especially in their late 20s/early 30s when all your friends are at different life stages from yourself and you're starting to feel inadequate? (That part may have hit a little close to home, obviously). My one big gripe with this book (possible small-ish spoiler ahead) was that it mentioned a possible queer identity for the main female character by having her go on a date with a woman once. (and seemingly enjoying it!)... and then that queer identity was never mentioned again - it just went right back to her dating and sleeping with men and women as possible romantic partners were never mentioned again.

omg! I kept thinking about what to rate this while I read the last 20% of this book but after finishing it I can definitely 100% say its a 5 star book for me! Im so happy I finally read this.
I loved everything about this, the mcs and that they weren’t perfect but so real and had their flaws and made mistakes. The side characters, I loved the depth of each and everyone and the connections and friendships that developed in the span of many years. Talking about the years this took place, the time jumps were great!! I was so giddy every time I reached a new part in this. They absolutely added depth to the story. And the writing, it was so good! I felt immersed in each little story the characters told in this book and I forgot the rest of it for the time being. I loved that! The way all the feels were described. The love and friendship, the hardships you go through no matter what kind of relationship you‘re in. I laughed and cried and highlighted many lines because this was so relatable. Definitely recommend!

Big thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this arc!

it took me a minute of sitting with this one to decide if I liked it or not but I've decided that I LOVED this one. definitely would not describe it as your typical romance book... but I don't know what I would describe it as... the first books that come to mind when I'm trying to think about how to talk about it are Funny You Should Ask and Romantic Comedy. Not because of any Hollywood aspect but those feel like slightly more subtle romances that feature characters (specifically women) in their mid 20s, spanning many years. I think I struggled with this book at first because of the nature of the characters at the beginning of the book and how (quite frankly) annoying and self-centered they were... but looking back it makes a lot of sense. when we meet these characters they're in their mid 20s and struggling (relatable) while pretending that have it totally together and all figured out (relatable) but are really just grappling for a sense of identity and purpose and security (RELATABLE) but we get to watch them grow up and slip into their thirties and we see how much their life and expectations for themselves evolves with time and how much of their 20-something selves and actions are a reflection of their own insecurities and a front for the imposter syndrome they were facing. we watch them live basically a thousand different lives juxtaposed against the simultaneous life trajectory and timeline and accomplishments of their best friends who are following a very traditional marriage. promotions, kids, house in the suburbs kind of life.

this book is so thoughtfully written and executed those underlying themes of identity and purpose and "milestones" and failure beautifully and it is something I both struggled to read (hit too close to home - I don't want to begin to think of how embarrassed my 36 year old self is going to be of current 26 year old me) and really appreciated as someone in my mid 20s grappling with a lot of the same insecurities and identity crisies who just wants to know everything is going to be okay. watching where natalie and rob end up, how dreams evolve, and how life finds a way of working out for the best felt like a security blanket in many ways. and watching these two meet then live a whole lot of life in order to become the people they needed to be to end up together was beautiful

<b> Thank you Berkley for the free copy </b>

One Star Romance had an interesting premise - an author gets a 1 star Goodreads review from the Best Man at her best friend's wedding - the best man she has to walk down the aisle with. Unfortunately, the concept is about where my enjoyment of this book ended.

First - I would not call this a rom com at all. I think it's women's fiction / lit fic at best. The romance took way too long to happen - even the (very sparse) little moments between the leads throughout the years were not enough to justify calling this a romance. The leads also had no chemistry together - I wasn't rooting for them (in fact, I actively believe Rob deserves better).

Second - there were very few characters in this book that I actually liked. Angus was the only one that I was actively rooting for (and he deserved better than having Rob and Natalie as friends). Natalie was one of the most insufferable leading ladies I've read in a long time. She firmly believed she was the main character of not only her own life but everyone's lives around her, and then got upset when she wasn't the first person others characters thought of during major milestones in their lives. At every turn she would make the most selfish choices and her inner monologue was SO hard to slog through. Even as she got older, she really didn't grow out of this mindset.

Third - the writing just didn't do it for me. Something about the voice wasn't landing for me. I also think the pacing was inconsistent and jumped around too often for me to get invested in the emotional beats that I was supposed to care about.

Overall, this was just not for me and probably would have been a DNF if I hadn't been listening to it as an audiobook and didn't have any other options available from the library.

One star romance was set over the course of about a decade. It made you feel like you really got to know the characters. Once I got a few chapters in, I couldn’t put this book down, I had to know what was going to happen. Were Natalie and Rob ever going to get together. I will be recommending this to patrons looking for a beach read or romance readers.

One star romance but a two star read.

This wasn’t overtly bad, but I felt like so much of it was lacking and it really bothered me who the main FMC acted throughout all of this. From a holy terror of a 26 year old (who went to undergrad but had nothing to show for it because she’s doing nothing more than part time jobs and writing a novel that she couldn’t even complete until her friend was happy and engaged) to being a 30 year old that was upset that someone called her out on something she did as a 26 year old. She acted like a child and was mad when her peers called her one.

In that same vein, she was so mad that her friends and rival was “growing up and being adults” as if she wasn’t also an adult??? “My mom said something about love when I was 22 and that really ruined my outlook” like what?? The author wrote her so young sounding that she just wasn’t ever going to be able to get a good review from me.

Also? The CHEATING?? Girl bffr

Very entertaining this made for a delightful vacation read. I don’t seek out enemies to lovers romances but I might now!

Not quite the romantic comedy that I went in expecting, but so much more. This is a tale of friendship and love, and growth. When the FMC finds out that the MMC wrote a 1 star review of her first novel it sets off a complicated relationship of the best man/maid of honor - who are best friends of the bride and groom. This relationship is one of brief meetings over the years as they attend major events in the bridge and groom's life. I really enjoyed how complicated and messy this was and will definitely seek out the author again.

Laura Hankin’s books have a way of pulling you in with a fun hook (What if you had to walk down the aisle with the man who gave your book a one-star review on Goodreads???) but then grounding you in relatable characters going through big-yet-everyday changes written in beautiful, approachable prose.

Thank you @berkleypub & @berkleyromance for my copy of ONE-STAR ROMANCE! I loved it so much. #BerkleyPartner

I was curious to see how Laura Hankin’s writing would change with the switch to the romance genre, and I’m happy to share that ONE-STAR ROMANCE feels very in line with her other books. The story follows Natalie, a writer living in NYC with her best friend Gabby. As their lives change, Natalie grapples with feeling left behind in her professional and personal life as she watches Gabby cross things off her list. She also grapples with her lust-hate relationship with Gabby’s husbands’ best friend Rob, a linguistics PhD who very rudely rated Natalie’s first book one star.

This book follows Natalie and Rob over a decade, and I loved watching these characters grow and evolve. The romance was a satisfying slow burn, but just as satisfying to me was Natalie’s relationship with Gabby and the exploration of maturing female friendship.

If you love authors that split the women’s fiction/romance divide like Ashley Poston and Elissa Sussman, absolutely add this one to your list!

"I mean...there have been moments when I've read something in a book that feels like it was written just for me. Like the author reached inside my brain, took all the thoughts I didn't know how to express, and put them into a perfect paragraph. And in those moments, I've felt so utterly connected to a person I didn't know that it made me think, 'Yes, the world can be hard, and people can be awful to each other.

But there is also such beauty in the fact that we can recognize each other like that.”



This one really snuck up on me. My wife and I are traveling for a couple of weeks in Europe and our first stop is the Azores I think most European flights are evening flights and ours left at 9pm. I started this one while the flight was taxing and while my seat mates and other passengers around me where dropping like flies, I was legit holding my eye open with my fingers to keep reading this one. Definitely going to be a favorite romance of the year.



I don’t know what I was expecting but I was not expecting a book with such depth, one that made me miss my best friend, and one that continues to live rent free in my head. While this story does have a lot of lighthearted moments that made me chuckle, it also had a lot of tender more thought provoking moments too. I loved the themes of timing really can be everything and friends are the family we choose.



I am in this beautiful place with the most beautiful scenery and I couldn’t wait to get back to this story. I really enjoyed Natalie’s character a lot. She transforms as the story goes on in a very relatable way. She talks about feeling behind the rest of her friends and that is so common to feel. I also loved her banter with Rob. This story takes place over many years and those are my favorite kind of stories.



If you’re looking for a book about love, friendship, and finding your place in this wild world, grab this one!

“I mean . . . there have been moments when I’ve read something in a book that feels like it was written just for me. Like the author reached inside my brain, took all the thoughts I didn’t know how to express, and put them into a perfect paragraph. And in those moments, I’ve felt so utterly connected to a person I didn’t know that it made me think, ‘Yes, the world can be hard, and people can be awful to each other. But there is also such beauty in the fact that we can recognize each other like that.”

I loved this more than just for its romance but the friendships. It really reminded me of my best friend, literally the trajectory of Gabby and Natalie’s span of friendship. However, I vowed to love my best friend’s husband from the start where clearly Nat had hesitancy. I thought it was WONDERFUL storytelling and it played like a romcom. Laura is a gifted writer! Rob and Natalie were giving me Nora Ephron vibes. Also it was so uncanny that I’m from Arizona and Rob was there and now Natalie adopted a kitty during a COVID like I did. Just so many things that were hitting the nail. I mean Natalie’s agent is named Iman. That’s my sister’s name! It’s like this book was trying to give me a million signs.

Most of all what stood out to me with this story, is how I related to Natalie on the level of stages in life. How everyone feels like they’re getting married, having kids, finding a footing in their career faster than you and feel so behind because comparison is the third of joy. How people use your dating life like it’s a game to them and “you’ll find someone when you least know it!”. Let me just share the quotes below that I loved that resonated.

P.S I absolutely loved Angus!!! May he be my favorite character!

“They were just “so curious” to see what was out there, because they’d never had to go on the apps themselves. Being the dating jester had grown exhausting. She was tired of opening every coffee with her coupled-up friends by reciting the gory details of her love life. She hated checking for a wedding ring every time she met a man, was exhausted from forcing herself to go to parties when she’d rather not just in case the love of her life might be in attendance.”

“— a more general sense of loss that came with getting older, as the people you knew committed themselves to others and the wide world of possibility began to narrow.”

“She had a lot of joy in her life, and she’d keep finding joy even if she never had a partner to experience it with her. She could discover moments of absolute ecstasy in taking herself to dinner alone, savoring the cold brine of a martini, exchanging life stories with the bartender if she was in a social mood, or sitting silently with her own thoughts if she wasn’t. People said that joy was sweeter when you shared it, and maybe that was true. Perhaps she’d always have a pang of regret.”

“No, I just need something comforting and warm.” “I’m not a book, but I can try to be those things”

“You and I both, we’re maybe more devoted to our best friends than the average person.”

WOW! I devoured this book. 10* stars. What a wonderful slow-burn romance. One of the best love stories I have read all year. It's raw and perfect. A must read.

Unfortunately, I struggled with this one. It dragged and dragged until I had to DNF it. I had a very hard time connecting to either of the main characters. It was also marketed as a romance (the title itself??), and romance was definitely a subplot in my opinion. Misleading marketing never makes for a good read in my eyes.