This is a romance book, but more than just an enemies to lovers story, it’s a love story about grief and loss. Bianca effortlessly intertwines Andie’s journey through the loss of her father with her complicated past with Jack through to the present as they embark on his book tour. Although the synopsis focuses solely on the relationship between Andie and Jack, I’d say 40% of this book is about Andie and her dad. I enjoyed this book and look forward to owning it! Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy.

The "enemies to lovers" premise of the book is strong, but there's of course a lot of backstory to Jack and Andie. The book starts off strong, but almost starts to lose the main purpose of the book, there was just too much going on...between grief with the father's passing, issues with Jack, emotional baggage with her mom, and then finally cracks in her friendship with Sara. By the time your more than halfway through the book, the reader is finally clued in to what happened all those years ago with Andie and Jack.
Overall, the story line is interesting, and it does it's job.

This book kept me hooked until the very end.

On the first day of her new job as a publicist, Andie finds out her first author client is Jack. The two have some serious unresolved history dating back to their days at university. Despite being stuck accompanying Jack on his book tour, Andie is determined to keep her job and be as civil as one can be to someone who supposedly ruined her life.

Readers are left wondering for a majority of the book what could be the cause of their hostile relationship, especially when Jack seems to be such a like-able character.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, although the story did seem rushed and hastily concluded. Many different themes of relationships, grief, love, and friendships were included, which might have contributed to the rushed ending.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced copy.

Andie just started her dream job at a big publishing firm when she’s assigned to a well-known author who is promoting his first novel after a string of nonfiction successes. Unfortunately for everyone involved, they not only knew each other in while they were in college, their relationship ended in less-than-ideal fashion. Now Andie finds herself on a European book tour with a man she’s doing her best to tolerate while she finally begins to unpack some of the emotional baggage that she’s carried for the last 5 years.

Friends, this one was not for me. I really liked the publishing industry and a good second chance romance. Jack was a decent character and I found him to be a relatable person that I felt empathy for. The pacing of this book was really strange, big jumps in the narrative and not explaining things that needed to be explained. There was a big build up on this enemies-to-lovers plot of wondering what had happened back in the uni days that made Andi hate Jack so much. Once this was revealed, and this was at least two thirds of the way through the book, it was very frustrating and a dumb thing. I am not a fan of the miscommunication trope when it could have been fixed with ONE conversation, but mostly this one fell flat for me specifically because I found the FMC to be so self-centered and unlikable.

Honestly there wasn't a lot of romance. The aspects of the book that dealt with grief and needing therapy were well done. This would be a good addition in a collection of "books that are heavy handed in wanting the reader to go to therapy."

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC. Book to be published May 20, 2025.

I usually enjoy a classic enemies-to-lovers story. However, I tried and just could not enjoy the main character, Andie, who I found to be whiny, negative and overall not likable. Her personality, plus her constant angry behavior, made it difficult to finish the book. She is just so NEGATIVE. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for an advanced reader copy.

Andie is a publisist, and Jack her most recent author. Andie has been tasked with taking Jack along for a month long book tour. Andie and Jack have history they both are trying to forget. They have decided to call a truce and work together since Jack nows that Andie is good at her job and will make sure he is taken care of. During the book tour, Andie and Jack are faced with their history and forced to face it head on, along with Andie and Jack both having to come to terms with some other personal issues.
Overall, I thought that Andie and Jack were both very strong characters who had a lot of growth and depth. The story itself was very relatable in many ways. Life doesn't always go the way we planned but at the end of the day we have to adjust to what happens and keep going.

Unfortunately, this one did not hit the spot for me.

It just didn’t grab me and I struggled to finish it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity, maybe next time.

eArc provided by the Publisher through NetGalley. Thank you in advance.

This book is about a Publicist (Andie) and a writer (Jack) that she hates for something that happened 5 years before when they were in college. Expect to wait until the end to know what it is. 

Let’s take this out of the way. The book is categorized as a rom-com, and let me tell you from the beginning, there is no comedy in it. 
There is little romance, and if there was any slow burn, I did not feel it. It went from 0.5% slow burn to let's burn the sheets and bang! 

The book itself is good if you are looking to enter a journey of healing, forgiveness, and understanding. It is an emotional book that touches so much on grieving and how it can affect your life and judgment. These parts were beautifully written. 

The backstory of the main character is not strong for the big reaction and hate the FMC had for the MMC throughout the whole story. It needed to have more development of the relationship they had before everything went down. Also, there are a great number of mentions of how much she loves her best friend, and describing her relationship with her that it felt a bit much. 

If the book was under a different category, I would have given it four stars because of her grieving journey.

Bad Publicity by Bianca Gillam is a charming, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance that blends humor, heart, and tension. Andie, a newly hired book publicist, is shocked to discover that her first major client is Jack Carlson, the man who made her university years a nightmare. Forced to work together on a high-stakes European book tour, Andie and Jack must navigate their past while trying to avoid a career-ending disaster.

The chemistry between Andie and Jack is sizzling from the start, and their emotional growth throughout the book adds depth to their relationship. Gillam perfectly balances witty banter with heartfelt moments, making their journey both entertaining and touching. The European backdrop and insights into the publishing world add an extra layer of charm to the story.

That said, the pacing was a bit slow at times. While I understand it was a slow-burn romance, it occasionally felt drawn-out. There are some 1 step forward, 2 steps back events and I don't know that I liked the bouncing around. However, despite these moments, the overall story is enjoyable and rewarding, with a satisfying payoff that makes the slower sections worthwhile.

Huge thank you to Penguin Random house and Netgalley for an early copy in return of an honest review!

Bad publicity was a fun rom-com that had deeply emotional moments and characters with pasts that made me honestly sad. The concept of this book was really good, it was face-paced, had witty banter and tension to keep me occupied and the writing was great.

I often find myself drawn towards books that take place within the publishing industry in any form and this one did not disappoint and just fed into my love of all things books. You can always tell if an author is passionate about their book when reading their words and this one was filled with that.
I’ll definitely pick up more books by this author in the future and look forward to adding a physical copy to my collection! 😊

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc. This takes place in New York, And gets her dream job. She's the senior book publicist. On her first day she realizes her biggest author is her rival from college. She has seen or spoken to Jack in 5 years and in order to keep her job, nothing can go wrong. He is super successful and still as hot as she remembers. This was a great rom com, slow burn, and enemies to lover romance. It's worth the read.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Books or this e-arc
First off, loved the premise of two ex's having to go on a book tour together after years apart after one really bad situation (which we don't know anything about) Right off the bat from Andie our FMC you see how strong her reaction is to Jack and you know something went down. I didn't love how Andie would always shut Jack down when he wanted to explain himself she was really harsh and sometimes over board in her responses like she was kicking a puppy constantly. Then they make a truce for the sake of her job, his book and the tour and then of course they sleep together which throws everything off. So, of course this is the perfect time for a flashback to find out what really went down between them and how bad Jack deserved to be treated. Not only to find out they weren't even a couple and he did one of the worst things I have ever seen in the misguided way of protecting her. I at first glance didn't think Andie should have been so harsh, but when I got to this part of the book you bet I was agreeing with every decision she had made and every mean comment she gave to Jack because I don't care what misguided way he was trying to help her what he did was horrible. However, this was five years before and people change s0 I am happy she chose herself in the end and decided she needed to figure herself out an don't let Jack or what he did rule her life. For her and him to find there way back to each other in the end was a bit bittersweet. So all in all, loved the premise, the execution wasn't bad, but not sure I loved the two characters together.

This was hard to read but I pushed through it. I didn’t like the main character at all, and hated the use of “OK” which almost made me DNF the book, but alas I finished it. Please please please change the writing to be “okay” instead of “OK” to make it at least mildly bearable.

This book opens with our FMC, Andie, starting a new job as a literary publicist and getting the shock of her life when she realizes the new author she will be shepherding through a tour is an old flame, Jack. This seemingly simple, fun, star-crossed romance turns into more - a young woman's tale of how she finally begins to cope with the overwhelming amount of trauma in her life.

Readers know something bad happened 5 years ago that made Andie leave her university in Edinburgh, and Andie's best friend Sara agrees that Jack is indeed a villain in whatever happened, so we go along for the tale, knowing that eventually all will be revealed. What winds up happening is the revelation that Andie is really not ok - she's stuck emotionally on all the emotions from whatever happened at uni plus the sudden death of her father soon after. Andie has not coped well at all in the 5 years since - she doesn't talk to her mother at all about her father, avoids most relations, and has basically stagnated emotionally even while focusing on her career mostly it seems to avoid dealing with whatever happened back at uni.

There's wonderful descriptions and scenes of independent bookstores and signings across major cities as a background to Andie and Jack gravitating towards each other again. When they finally do come together, it's not an instant happily ever after - Jack calls Andie on her refusal to discuss the past, and Andie is forced to work through the trauma of her past to come to a happier ending for herself first.

I'd recommend this book to someone interested in the world of independent bookstores and signings, since the author gives a lot of color to how different events and stores can be, and also to someone who is having a hard time working through grief who might benefit from seeing one version of how someone finds her way to a new normal.

Thank you to Penguin Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Bad Publicity by Bianca Gillam is a sparkling enemies-to-lovers romcom set in the high-stakes world of publishing. The story follows Andie, a newly hired senior book publicist, who discovers her biggest client is none other than Jack Carlson—the man who turned her university life upside down. Forced to work together on a month-long European book tour, Andie and Jack navigate romantic destinations, unresolved tensions, and undeniable chemistry. This novel promises humor, heartfelt moments, and a slow-burn romance that fans of Emily Henry and Tessa Bailey will adore. With its witty banter and emotional depth, it’s a delightful read for anyone who loves a mix of professional drama and second-chance romance. Perfect for curling up with on a cozy evening!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Books for the ARC!

I am such a sucker for characters set in the publishing world! I enjoyed following Andie and Jack on their tumultuous book tour while trying to piece together what shared history they were trying to overcome. Andie’s character was a relatable, emotional mess and I liked seeing the way she finally chose to dig in and work on herself instead of immediately riding off into the sunset with her rescuer. The journey through her grief was palpable and seeing a character find their way through something like that is one of my favorite pieces of a story. The romance portion was sweet and simple but not world-altering, which was a bit disappointing. Overall, it was a quick and easy read that had a solid grief journey but not a very memorable romance.

Andie is finally starting the job she has always wanted only to learn that she is going to be working with the last man on earth she would choose to spend time with let alone help promote his new book. She needs to put past hurts far enough aside to be professional but she has been burying way too much emotional baggage lately and the strain is starting to show. Relationships, grief, forgiveness, and moving on all swirled into a second chance romance with a super patient and understanding hero.

In some ways Jack was too patient and understanding. I am not sure why he stuck around through it all I just knew I was glad he did. I would have liked to see his own issues get more of their due as well. Andy wasn’t always in the right, or kind, or capable of thinking of anyone other than herself. And yet, I hurt for and wanted to see her heal and find security and happiness. I fretted over her relationships even as I wanted to tell her some hard truths myself. That kind of emotional investment in such an often unlikable character is special.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Bad Publicity. I enjoyed traveling with our main characters through various cities, and following along on their publishing journey. I think the grief was pretty heavy, and was relieved when female main character realized how poorly she was executing her professional role, because that was starting to bug me a bit. For the build up throughout the book about what Jack did in the past, I was disappointed in what that actually was, or at least Jack's role in it. I still found this to be a very enjoyable read, and read it in just a couple days! Thanks for the ARC.

I understand that people process grief differently, but this book is marketed as a rom-com—so where’s the comedy? The romance? The CHEMISTRY?? None of it exists. Instead, we’re stuck with an insufferable main character who spends seventy percent of the book obsessing over her grief and a so-called “catastrophic” event in Edinburgh… only for it to—spoiler alert—turn out not as catastrophic as the definition of the word would lead you to believe. Just your stereotypical dose of overblown male assholery and poor communication skills (and even that just goes against the character’s job who herself says “My job in book publicity, which meant communicating with journalists on a daily basis”)—how original. And the ”romantic trip to Europe” promised in the blurb? Don’t expect it to be a saving grace. Nope. It could just as well be Detroit for all the lifeless, cliché details we get. As for Jack, the love interest, is utterly spineless and bland. In fact, the entire cast lacks depth, personality, or any remotely likable qualities.
So, no romance, no vivid travel experiences, and just grief rolling around in endless, repetitive cycles—like dirty laundry stuck in a washing machine. Even the setup, featuring an author and his publicist, is just another bait-and-switch to lure readers in. Who doesn’t love a bookish, internationally set romance? I mean, the book cover is super cute, isn’t it? Too bad Bianca Gillam had all the right ingredients for a swoon-worthy rom-com—and still butchered the recipe. Finishing this required a lot of skimming on my part.