Really enjoyed this one! Loved the slow burn romance between the two main characters, and seeing how they change and how their lives change (but are still intertwined via their best friends) over several years.

Natalie and Gabby’s friendship was definitely codependent and this conflict wasn’t addressed until waaaay later. Rob and Natalie definitely had chemistry though, and I loved seeing how they grew. Surprisingly Angus was a favorite character — he’s so sweet. I wish we had more moments between Rob and Nat although I appreciated the focus on friendships too.

Some cute moments, and the writing/plotting keeps everything moving at a good pace, but the main characters lack believable chemistry, and there are too many eye-roll-inducing set pieces for this reader's taste.

I had a really hard time getting into this one. I don't think it had much romance like it suggests but more women's fiction. We see the MCs come and go throughout several years. The aspect of you again, hate you, love you, forced proximity, repeat was the way this plot worked. I think Rob's review was justified and Natalie was relatable. Overall it was a decent read that tackled some harder topics and I think the author did a good job portraying them.

4.5! This was so good! I don’t know if there’s a term for this kind of book—a romance that sweeps through the years—but MAN, do they always manage to get me!!

I was a bit unsure about this one at the beginning—Rob and Natalie’s argument seemed a bit childish to me. And there were so many ups and downs! But the second half really came together. Though as much as I loved their relationship, it was really Natalie and Gabby’s friendship that made this story shine. I was in tears for most of the ending. I also liked Angus and his relationship w both Gabby and Natalie. The last 20% was really special. Still wiping away tears!

Natalie and Rob keep getting forced into each others’ lives based on the milestones of their best friends. They are maid of honor and best man, and then see each other often at job celebrations and housewarmings for their friends. They like each other when they meet, but when Natalie finds out that Rob gave her novel a one-star review on Goodreads, their relationship fractures. This is not a romance. Rob and Natalie are even with other people for most of the book. Told through vignettes over 8 years, readers get the perspectives of both Natalie and Rob (and one other character which was odd and misplaced). Natalie and Rob’s lives outside of each other were intriguing, but the fact that they are both as fiercely wrapped up in their respective friends to the point that Natalie especially is cruel to her best friends’ partner because she wants her all to herself was frustrating to read. Not one of the characters was all that likeable, but that being said, this was an entertaining and heartfelt at times novel about growing up and finding yourself. It’s not a one star romance, but it is a three star work of fiction.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you @BerkleyRomance #Berkley #BerkleyPartner for the free book and @PRHAudio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

In One-Star Romance, Natalie and Rob are repeatedly tossed together by their best friends who are getting married. Natalie is the maid of honor to Rob's best man. After he gives her a one-star review on her debut novel, the two of them clash consistently.

I appreciated the extended timeline over which this story takes place. It's a story about learning to see other people's perspectives. So I felt it was appropriately told in third person POV. Though there was clearly a lot of chemistry between the pair, the door just cracked open a tiny bit.

For me, what shone the most was the female friendship between Natalie and Gabby. The book features their relationship at least as strongly as it does the romance. And it highlights Natalie's growth as a character.

CW: cancer

I enjoyed every second of this book. It is a SLOW BURN, more chick lit rather than RomCom with several time jumps. If I could use one word to describe this book it would be "edging" in the best way possible. I do wish it was a little more spicy, but the growing anticipation of the MCs was hot and you could literally feel the tension. I loved the writing style as well and would definitely read more from this author. It’s cute and heart breaking and gives you all the feels. It is a SLOW burn romance, but so worth the read.

This book is everything. Instantly one of my top 5 of the year. There is so much to love.. The writing immediately sucks you into the story, the characters, and their relationships. I adored the subtle When Harry Met Sally vibes between Natalie and Rob but I have to admit "best supporting actor" Angus stole the show. Angus, you are the friend and husband everyone should have by their side. Please read this book. It's like a big warm hug.

At first I thought this would kind of be like When Harry Met Sally but as I read it it struck me that it’s so much more than a story about a couple getting together after many years; it’s also about the friends that keep bringing them together and the moments in life that happen along the way which I loved.

🌟 After their best friends marry each other Rob and Natalie are forced to be in each other lives even after Rob gives Natalie’s debut novel a one-star review. 🌟

After reading Hankin’s book The Daydreams, and absolutely loving it, I had high hopes for this new novel and it did not disappoint!

I had an idea in my mind about how the story would go but I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong. At its core this is a story about friendship and love in its many forms, including: friend love, romantic love, and familial love.

The pacing was perfect and the time jumps were seamless. Switching between points of view, I felt like I got to know each character better than if it were just a single point of view.

The chemistry between Rob and Natalie was full of tension and longing in this closed door romance. I really liked their relationship progression; however, I would have liked to have had more time with them as a couple but I’m greedy. 😂

The friendship between Natalie and Gabby was so important and really pulled at my heartstrings. Their love really took center stage and I loved every part of it. Similarly, Rob and Angus’s friendship was equally as special.

Angus is definitely the ultimate book husband! ♥️

Also, there were moments that reminded me of the book You, Again by Kate Goldbeck. It has a similar vibe to this story.

🌟🌟🌟🌟

💕 Friendship
💋 Romance
🖤 Enemies to Lovers
🗣️ Multi POV
💔 Grief
🌱 Growth

Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5

👉🏼 #bookstackcityreviews

🎁 Thank you @berkleypub @berkleyromance for this #gifted copy of #OneStarRomance !!

❓ Have you ever disliked your best friend’s partner? If so, how did you handle the situation? If not, what’s something you like about their partner?

Natalie's best friend is getting married to Rob's best friend. Her jealousy and anxiety inspire her to write a book that's a thinly-veiled, mean-spirited portrait of her friend's fiance that gets published just before the wedding. As a good friend, Rob gives it a one-star review on Goodreads the night before they serve as maid of honor and best man. Rob and Natalie spend the next 8 years in and out of their friends' orbit, colliding but near-missing an actual relationship (romantic or otherwise) of their own.

For any romance readers thinking of picking this up, it's a well-written novel - but it's not a romance. It's more women's fiction (although like Natalie, I don't love the term, I still think it's the closest fit for the genre) with a strong romantic plot. Mind the content notes: Dementia of a parent, cancer, cheating (not between the main characters).

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

On the surface this is the story of Natalie and Rob who meet because they are respectively the best friends of Gabby and Angus who fall in love and get married and they are the best man and maid of honor at their wedding. Prior to the wedding Natalie writes a book that Rob leaves a 1star review for on Goodreads and it’s sends their relationship down a spiral for the next near decade when they see each other thorough Gabby and Angus although there’s an underlying connection between them. But the deeper story lies in the friendship between Natalie and Gabby and how friendships change over decades, when one friend gets married and has a family before the other and how that changes the dynamics of a relationship. I loved how the author played this relationship out and how they described hurt and reconnecting. It’s something I think most women in their 30s and 40s can understand. How success can look different for different women-in the workplace, in the home, in relationships. Very well written.

ONE-STAR ROMANCE was anything but. Sparks absolutely do not fly when Natalie is forced to walk down the aisle with a man who gave her book a one-star review in her best friend’s wedding. Make no-mistake there was no insta-love here, but over the years as their best friends celebrate milestones they find themselves drawn together.

While the alluring cover may appeal to your rom-com loving heart, this story has so much more depth and will appeal to a wide swath of readers. This story is just as much a tribute to friendship over the years as it is a story of romantic love.

Laura Hankin realistically explores how friendships can shift with new seasons of life. It can take time, consideration, and work to carve out space for a friendship that looks different than it did a decade ago.

READ THIS IF YOU:
-have ever met the right person at the wrong time
-are drawn to stories about writers
-appreciate a slow burn love story over the years

RATING: 4/5

Many thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one didn’t work for me.

I was hoping that this would be a cute romance and that I would fall in love since it deals with books, but I feel like this one is categorized wrong. I would consider it more women’s fiction since the romance of it is very small and I feel like we get to know more about the love life of side characters, than the FMC. I also didn’t understand why she didn’t talk to him in the first place after finding out and instead harbored it for forever. All of this could have been avoided in some ways. I also don’t think the time jumps helped either.

Besides the plot, I wasn’t a fan of the FMC some of the things she did/said was just kind of wild, haha. She didn’t read the room.

Overall, this wasn’t for me and I am definitely sad about it.

What a perfect read.

The irony of this makes you want to leave a one star for a book called one-star romance, but this is such a delight and just hits all the right feels.

Although, part six made me cry like a baby.

Natalie and Rob quickly became favorite book characters (like ever) with their dynamic, banter, and the obvious romance that was being fought. I felt like there was just the perfect amount of drama, emotion, and events that it was such a good read. Ha no pun intended.

Well written, great dialogue, perfect amount of tension with the characters, and lastly, the story. Chef's kiss.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for my E-ARC.

Now go grab a copy of this book, read it during this heat wave, and enjoy!

One Star Romance was the perfect read for my day. A wonderful blend of romantic comedy and women's fiction, Natalie and Rings story gave me all the laughs and romance for a fun day and just enough drama and emotion so it felt like I had a great trusted Fri nd with me sharing their story. Vividly written, with excellent dialogue and great tension this is the perfect read for the day when you want something to hold you with a solid story but yet not weigh you down with too many emotional punches. And, the best part there just the right blend of laughs, giggles, and You Have To Hear This quotes so you can still annoy...erummm engage with your family and share your book with them 😂💖😇

Thank you @berkleypub @berkleyromance @prhaudio for my complimentary copy. My thoughts are my own.

I went into this one expecting a rom-com, but it was really more of a narrative/women’s fiction story, and I loved it!

The story unfolds over a period of several years. Rob and Natalie first meet at the wedding of their best friends. Natalie has recently published a book and she is angered when she receives a one-star review on Goodreads. When she realizes the reviewer is Rob, she becomes furious with him. Her hatred of Rob continues over several years as they meet periodically at the major life events of their mutual friends.

The author expertly weaves in the back stories for both characters over time. The male main character, Rob, is a lovable type A personality - always striving for perfection, worrying about his career, and trying to impress his popular professor father! Rob is also vulnerable, and I just wanted everything to work out for him!

Natalie is not as likable as Rob. She is immature, and even petty. She does grow up over time, as she gradually resolves her feelings of a kind of loss as her best friend moves on in life, and she eventually sees Rob for the vulnerable, lovable character he is.

I enjoyed both the print and audio versions of this one, and I want to give a shout out to the author, who perfectly narrated the story!

Laura Hankin tackles a more straightforward romance novel in her latest release, One-Star Romance. I was eager to read this after absolutely loving her previous two novels that fell more in the general fiction category!

In One-Star Romance, readers follow along on a When Harry Met Sally type story, except with two characters who are always at odds rather than good friends. Natalie and Rob are connected through their two best friends, who have fallen in love. At the wedding, things turn frigid when Natalie discovers that Rob anonymously gave her first novel a one-star review.

This sets off a chain of events over years and years where the two meet at various gatherings and navigate their complicated relationship - sometimes drawing closer and finding comfort in each other and sometimes feeling like they couldn't be more different.

I really enjoyed the time jumps - discovering where each of them were at different points in their lives. This is a slow burn at it's best! They truly saw the best and worst of each other, resulting in a love story that happened when they both were ready to embrace it.

This will be a great read for anyone who loves stories set over longer periods of time and enjoys the tension and build up on an enemies to lovers romance!

Thank you Berkley Pub and Berkley Romance for the free book and thank you PRHAudio for my #gifted listening copy of One-Star Romance! #PRHAInfluencer #PRHAudioPartner #BerkleyBookstagram #berkleypub #berkleyromance #BerkleyIG #berkley

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐎𝐧𝐞-𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟏𝟖, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

★★★★★

This book was so good! I knew when I heard the author speak at the Berkley Summer Preview event that I would enjoy this book, but I had no clue that I would end up loving it this much! The premise was so unique and I just loved the set up of this book. I loved how it was told in different parts and spanned over 10 years. Natalie and Rob were also complete opposites and I loved watching their lives change throughout the book. There were so many times I found myself laughing, and other times I found myself getting emotional. It was just such a great blend. I cannot say enough good things about this book. It worked really well for me!

★Slow Burn
★Opposites Attract
★Enemies to lovers
★Spanning over 10 years, Told in Multiple Parts
★Laugh Out Loud Funny
★Emotional and Heartwarming

🎧I alternated between the physical book and the audiobook, narrated by the author, Laura Hankin. I always love when the author narrates the book and Hankin absolutely nailed this one! She was absolutely perfect and once I started listening to the audiobook, I did not want to stop. If you enjoy audiobooks, I highly suggest you read this one with your ears!

Posted on Goodreads on June 18, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around June 18, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on June 18, 2024
**-will post on designated date

Thanks to Berkley for a free copy of One Star Romance by Laura Hankin which comes out today!

This romantic comedy is about a struggling writer who is the maid of honor and the best man who gives her debut novel a one-star review. While they had chemistry at the engagement party it was just before the ceremony that Natalie figured out the one-star review was from Rob. They hope they never see each other again but as best friends to the couple their lives intertwine every few years as they celebrate life's milestones.

I love the writing style and the story but I'm found Natalie super immature. It's made it hard for me to like her and want to root for her and Rob. I get that your early 20s can be tough and this is a book about friendships evolving. The fact that Natalie's book is a little too close to reality and that Rob is the first person to call her out on it and that Gabby won't even read it speaks volumes... the ending redeemed itself a little bit not enough for me .

Laura Hankin is a special writer. Her range is very impressive and I always enjoy her books. She is such a strong writer and I thoroughly enjoy her words! This book was interesting and captivating. Definitely worth the read.