❌ had a romantic thru-line, but not really a romance
❌ will target you if you’re in your late twenties probably
❌ i had this title in my “palate-cleanser” romances; it had far more depth and tough stuff in it than i expected

✅ characters with real shit going on
✅ deliberately talks about how long-time deep friendships get backburnered for romantic relationships
✅ toxic academia representation

many thanks to berkley and netgalley for the advance reader copy.

**3/5 stars**

I went into "One Star Romance" expecting a light-hearted, romantic comedy, but what I got was a more serious and nuanced exploration of relationships, grief, and personal growth. Don't get me wrong, the characters are well-developed and relatable, and the writing is engaging. Natalie and Rob's banter is witty and endearing, and I enjoyed watching them navigate their complicated feelings for each other.

However, I felt misled by the book's description. The title "One Star Romance" led me to expect a more comedic tone, with a focus on the humorous side of a one-star review. Instead, the book tackles some heavy themes like family dynamics, loss, and identity crisis. While these themes are certainly important and well-handled, they weren't what I was in the mood for.

The characters are the real strength of the book. Natalie is a creative and emotional person who struggles with self-doubt, while Rob is more reserved and analytical. Their differences create an interesting dynamic, and I appreciated how they challenged each other to grow and confront their insecurities. The supporting cast of characters is also well-developed, particularly Natalie's best friend Gabby, who adds some much-needed levity to the story.

Overall, I would recommend "One Star Romance" to fans of contemporary romance who enjoy complex characters and character-driven stories. However, if you're looking for a light-hearted rom-com, you might want to look elsewhere.

I have a lot of conflicting feelings about this book. It WAS good. I loved the writing and I like the dual POV and the fast moving timeline. The story worked so well the way it was set up, it did leave me wanting so much more. But it made sense! And I really appreciated it! I both loved and hated Natalie?? She was so annoying but in a VERY relatable way for so much of the book. Rob was hard to read but I also kind of loved him? I do really like the right person wrong time, missed connection thing?? Even though it does seem to frustrate me when it’s set up to take place intermittently over many years…

Natalie and Rob had A CONNECTION. That was the whole point of the book. But since we only got to see them a few times together it was hard to see the big picture, to see their chemistry. And I wanted MORE. I held out because I had a feeling that by the end it would all come together and it DID. By the end I appreciated the entire story as a whole! I just wish I could have felt more connected throughout the whole book.

The last 80 pages EVISCERATED me. Like DESTROYED ME. I was fully unprepared! It was GOOD! Do not get me wrong. I loved the way it was written, everything came full circle, and the ending was everything I could have hoped for. But that last part…HURT.

Thank you to Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

One-word review: Delightful
Emojis: ☺️🫢🫠
Rating: 4 🌟s

My thoughts:

One-Star Romance by Laura Hankin is a unique romantic comedy that turns the enemies-to-lovers trope on its head. In this book, a woman unexpectedly finds herself drawn to the man who gave her very first novel a one-star review. Intriguing, isn't it?

I absolutely adored the premise. I can't imagine a better bookish enemies-to-lovers plot. It's so authentic, as is the rest of the story surrounding it.

The book takes you on a journey through all the pivotal moments in the lives of Natalie's best friend, who is in a relationship with Rob's best friend. Yet the story is about how Natalie and Rob met and fell in love even though he gives Natalie's pride and joy a review of only one star.

While the narrative technique employed may not have been my personal preference, the final quarter of the book was a profoundly affecting and emotionally charged experience that I couldn't help but be moved by.

The character development in this book is exceptional, with each individual given ample room to evolve and mature as the plot unfolds. I found them all to be remarkably relatable, their lives vividly brought to life by the author's pen.

Overall, this book is a delightful addition to your beach or pool bag. It's a read that will keep you excited and engaged, and it certainly won't disappoint.

The premise of this book immediately hooked me with how almost cringe worthy and interesting it sounded. I really enjoyed how this book focused on friendships. Despite the romance taking forever to develop, I appreciated the humor and realistic feelings we got to experience getting to that point.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for my e-arc of this book.

I thought the blurb of this book sounded like such a fun and unique idea. I love a quirky romance, however, even though romance is in the title, this is not a romance novel. I wish the marketing was handled differently for this book so I knew more what to expect while reading. I found the pacing to be slow, the characters to be rather unlikable and so I struggled trying to get through this book.

“Hatred and passion shared such a fine line.”

One-Star Romance follows a pair of best friends as they muddle their way through their twenties into their thirties. They each are facing their own challenges; overbearing parents, rejection, self doubt, immaturity, being left as your friends move onto the next steps in their lives, mistakes you make that follow you and lost loves.

Natalie has just witnessed her best friend, Gabby, get proposed to by a guy she doesn’t deem worthy. Standing next to her is his best friend, Rob, who sees all the good Angus is and will be for Gabby. Both are at odds as they start a new “friendship” as the maid of honor and the best man. Love, hate, loving to hate and competition ensues between Natalie and Rob as they both try to support their friends in this next big life step. During Gabby and Angus’ year and half engagement Natalie has been published and unbeknownst to her Rob has read the book and seen that main male character that Natalie has written in an unflattering way is definitely about Angus. The night before the wedding Natalie sees that she’s been given a one-star review. Putting two and two together she figures out it was Rob. This is the catalyst to the competition, tension and love/hate that they hold onto for near 10 years.

“Maybe some people get lucky. They find someone early on and don’t need to figure anything out because there’s no doubt at all.”

This book takes you through time jumps and gives you small life updates on each of the characters as they are entering new life phases; job successes/failures, romances failed and thriving, health scares, 2020, babies. We get to witness emotional growth, forgiveness and maturity. What was once competing turns to mutual understanding. What was once hate turns to love.

To be frank, I struggled through the first 55% of this book and almost put it down. I’m glad I didn’t. I wasn’t connecting with Natalie, the main female character. I thought she was whiney and had to keep reminding myself she was still young and maturing. And she did. And, I began to like her. In fact, I really liked her. Rob, the main male character, was grumpy and likable throughout. I honestly thought he maybe deserved better than what he was given in the end, but I wasn’t sad how it all came together. The characters in the end were richer and had a history that was necessary for where their relationships landed. Would I call this a rom-com? I’m not so sure. I didn’t catch myself laughing out loud…like at all. There were definitely good moments and humorous banter, but it was definitely a more serious book that dealt with a lot of hard things in a gentle way. If you’re looking for a light fluffy read this isn’t it.


Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Publishing and Laura Hankin for allowing me to read a copy of One-Star Romance in exchange for an honest review.

I read and enjoyed happy and you know it but since that was mama drama I figured I was in for some romance based on the title. This is light on romance or rather the slowest burn imaginable. I found it to be more women’s fiction with heavy emphasis on friendship. The protagonist was immature and needed to grow up. This book spans 8 years which I find it hard to believe - long haul angst isn’t my thing. I can see this appealing to those that enjoy a light summer read and some would call this chick lit.

3.5 stars rounded up. One Star Romance a solid story about two people circling around each other for years until they end up in the right place and the right time. I was skeptical at the beginning, fell wholeheartedly into the story in the middle, and started to get annoyed again in the second half and at the end. Things kind of clicked for me when I read the acknowledgments and realized the author hasn’t written a romance before—this book hits the necessary beats, but it doesn’t feel intimately familiar or comfortable with romance conventions.

The book follows Natalie, who starts the story as a 24 year old with big dreams of becoming an acclaimed novelist, and Rob, a PhD student following in the footsteps of his professor father. Rob leaves a one-star review of Natalie’s less-than-bestselling novel right before the wedding of their respective best friends, and what ensues is years of the two characters running into each other every 18 months or so at the other major life events of those best friends, having a memorable encounter, then going back to their separate lives until next time.

I was impressed with the setup—the whole one-star review thing works better than I expected, with both characters having good reason to hate each other because of it. The first half overall kept me engaged, despite a fair amount of clunky interiority and flashback work to show why the characters turned out the way they are. I especially liked the author’s skillful use of the one-bed trope—the angst and tension were singing! I will say that much is made the entire book of one of the characters “beating” the other by making a better toast at a wedding, but both toasts are printed in full in the text, and I thought the “losing” toast was better, lol. It’s little things like that that break the illusion for me and take me out of the story.

Where the book lost me a bit was the second half, when Natalie and Rob start dating other people and continue to take several years to get together. At this point, I was getting sick of the structure of the book and just wanted them to stay in the same place and get to know each other better. It started to feel less like romance when the characters were spending so much time apart, and there’s a long detour from Rob’s girlfriend’s perspective that frustrated me. It’s a romance about Natalie and Rob, so why are we off with this other character?

That’s what I mean about the book *being* a romance but seeming uncomfortable with romance conventions. It breaks the mold a bit, which makes sense given the author’s book club fiction background. I’m all for experimentation, but in this case it didn’t work that well for me.

Anyway, the final chapters of the book, which introduce COVID and a few other serious and upsetting complications into the mix, sealed the deal on my annoyance. Curtis Sittenfeld’s ROMANTIC COMEDY did Covid-as-a-plot-device quite well, but in this book it just made me realize how much freaking time had passed in the book without these characters getting together, lol. At a certain point it’s too long!

This is an interesting, absorbing entry in the romance genre, at its best when the two leads are able to sparkle on page together in the present. Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free e-ARC in return for an honest review!

One Star Romance by Laura Hankin is a standalone enemy to lovers rom-com novel. The story focuses mostly on Natalie, who has just published her first book; she lives with her bff, Gabby. Natalie meets Rob, who happens to be Angus, bff; and during a party, where Angus asks Gabby to marry him. Natalie learns that one person gave her book 1 star, and after a bit of investigation, she realizes that Rob was the one who gave her the 1 star. From that moment on, both of them got off on the wrong foot, and as the years passed, both Natalie and Rob, only saw each other only due to their respective best friends.

At times they were forced to be together, such as when Gabby and Angus got married, Rob was the best man and Natlie was the maid of honor. Throughout the passing years, they met at their friend’s parties, housewarming, birth of baby, life changing or another milestone; as both of them dealed with their own life and ambitions.

This was a slow burn romance, with years having passed, and a tragedy will bring both Natalie and Rob together. The friendship between the foursome (Gabby, Angus, Natalie, Rob), as well as other secondary character was lots of fun, and wonderful to get to know them over time. It was very well done, as we got to see the journey between the four of them during that period. I got a kick out of Christina (Gabby/Angus) daughter. I did like some other secondary characters that played a nice part in this book. I did in time enjoy the love-hate relationship between Rob and Natalie.

One Star Romance is a fun story that focuses on friendship, romance, growth and humor over a number of years. It is a charming, witty, fun story that seamlessly combines life’s complexities and growth, as we change over a period of time. If you enjoy slow burn romances, with lots of humor; you should read One Star Romance, with was very well written by Laura Hankin.

This was cute, but it didn't do anything to grab my attention. The main characters were charming enough, but I didn't feel much chemistry between the two of them and it was all just OK for me.

A struggling author is forced to walk down the aisle at her best friend's wedding with the man who gave her book a one star rating... and now they keep running into each other throughout the years and their relationship evolves throughout it all. Natalie and Rob are polar opposites, Natalie is a chaotic author while Rob is a rigid academic. The only thing they do have in common is that they absolutely love their respective best friends... who just happen to be getting married to one another. When Rob and Nat first meet (pre engagement) they hit it off but when they meet again during the wedding.... and Nat has just published her book only to discover that Rob has left her a one star review... things are awkward as they have to both walk down the isle as the maid of honor/ best man. What started off as friendship is now something frosty as Rob can't stand Nat for how she characterized Angus and Nat doesn't see what she did wrong. Nat and Rob keep running into each other throughout the years, as they both end up attending parties and events that their respective best friend throws.... and as they grow so does their relationship. They were never meant to meet again yet as they go form their twenties to their thirties, they keep finding each other, going through hardships and success, and finally maybe addressing the feelings that have been between them all along. I'll be honest, I was so excited to read this book, the premise sounds like so much fun.. however I just felt lukewarm about the entire story. I just couldn't stand Nat all that much, she kept getting on my nerves and the fact that Gabby and Angus kept her in their lives was truly a testament to their kindness. The story definitely was more chick-lit than an actual romance book. The story deals with Nat's career growth and Gabby's health scare and how they grow as the years go on. I just found the book to be boring and the romance just didn't feel like it was there for me sadly. If you enjoy slow burn stories that focus on growth and life I would say this is definitely for you and that you'd probably have a better time with it than I did.

Release Date: June 18,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Loved this one so much! It was a fun and quick read. I loved the slow burn between the two MCs, and loved the side characters. It did need some trigger warnings for the ending but overall loved it!

Read if you like:
⏳ Books that take place over 10 years
😠 Enemies to Lovers
👯‍♀️ Pivitol Friendships
🖤 Fade to Black
🐌 Sloooowwwww burn
🥵 Tension & Chemistry

I didn’t quite know what to expect from this one as I read and loved the daydreamers last year and loved it, and now I have to say, she nailed this romance!

I also really loved that we got the author narrating the audiobook as that felt so special and it was so well done!

Now, with the story, I loved how the jumps in time were done and how the story was broken up into sections coresponding with those time jumps and the will they or won’t they that happened over the years with the undeniable tension and chemistry between our main characters.

I also really loved the way the friendships between the girls was done and the rift and how they came back together and how the male friendship was written as that element to the story truly made me love it so much as it was more than ‘a romance’ and there was so much depth of emotion for the characters together, as friends, and with their families, as well as how time changes things and paths.

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for my ARC and to PRHA for my gifted audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

Oh boy! This book was such a story! I was lucky enough to be invited to a presentation that featured this author and this book is ACTUALLY based (a little) off her personal experience when she had to walk down the aisle (MOH and Best Man) with a man who rated her book 1 star on Goodreads! While some of the story was a bit of a slow burn for me, it was personal to author which really makes me appreciate everything that was poured into this! I had a good time reading this one and I am so grateful to have received it! This is for those contemporary fictions slightly romantic readers!

Laura Hankin sure knows how to rub proverbial salt into an emotional wound. I mean that in the best way possible, because what Hankin achieves in One-Star Romance is a dissection of friendships, romance, and adulthood that will pierce you directly in the heart. If you’re anticipating a cute romcom, be prepared to adjust these expectations. I read this story with a nostalgic ache in my chest while resisting the mounting desire to call my friends and tell them how much I love them.

Natalie and Rob meet when their best friends Gabby and Angus get engaged. Their initial encounter goes swimmingly, and the two take up their respective roles as best man and maid of honor. But, on the day of the wedding, Nat finds out that Rob gave her novel a one star review on Goodreads and she vows to avoid him forever. So begins years of Nat and Rob circling in and out of each others lives as Gabby and Angus reach different relationship milestones. From housewarmings, to christenings, Nat and Rob find themselves thrust together, challenging one another while attempting to avoid their electric chemistry.

While a love story at its core, One-Star Romance heavily explores the shift in friendship dynamics as we evolve from post college twenty-somethings into our thirties. As someone who has entered the latter end of this timeline, this aspect hit me very hard. I was moved by Natalie and Rob’s growth, especially when it came to their devotion to Gabby and Angus. There is truth in the saying that friends are the family we choose and Hankin exemplifies this beautifully in One-Star Romance.

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When Natalie’s best friend gets married, she walks down the aisle with Rob, the best man. Rob is attractive and there’s chemistry, until she learns he gave her recently released fiction book a one star review.

Another romance that I really enjoyed! Are my tastes changing? However I would really say that this is more of a women’s fiction than a romance considering they pretty much hate each other the whole way through. Friendship and how it evolves over time was the major theme of this book and I loved it. Natalie was an intelligent and creative person, but also hilarious and fun to read about.

“Hatred and passion shared such a fine line. And she hated him, this man who had made her doubt herself and had never apologized for it. Who still thought that he was in the right.”

One-Star Romance comes out 6/18.

3.5 stars rounded up!

This book took me by surprise and was not at all what I expected. Told over the course of 8 years, One-Star Romance follows Natalie, Gabby, Angus, and Rob through all of life’s ups and downs. Although there’s plenty of it, romance was a background character in this book and instead we got to watch these characters grow together, grow apart, and find their way back to each other. I usually don’t cry much while reading, but this one got me good on multiple occasions. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the month and it delivered!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This reads more like chick lit than romance. It’s slow-paced, and honestly, the first four chapters could have been cut without losing anything.. Natalie is bright and chipper, but at the same time incredibly insecure. This book might appeal to a new adult audience, but it’s not for me..

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Headed into the city for ThrillerFest but first I had to post this review for One Star Romance. It is the exact opposite of one star, this was such a great read. I loved these characters and I was completely immersed with Natalie and Rob’s chemistry. I laughed several times and was smiling the rest of the time. This was such a fun book.