Overall this was a cute story, but it did leave me feeling like I wanted just a bit more from these characters.

This book is told from dual POVs of both Lucy and Jack. Lucy has just been accepted to Oxford’s Law program (a career path she is choosing over music because she made a promise to her father that she would take care of her sister and mother). On her flight she is seated next to Jack, who is a reluctantly famous Rock Star who happens to have broken her heart 4 years prior when he bailed on her during their audition for the equivalent of the Voice.

Unfortunately for Lucy and Jack’s characters, there just wasn’t anything particularly lovable about either one of them and I didn't find myself all that invested in their storylines. While I can tell the author was trying to give them both deep tooted issues that they needed to work through. the depth fell short to me. Their struggles didn't feel believable and as a result, neither did their attraction or chemistry.

All in all 2.5/5 rounded to 3 stars ⭐️

Oxford Star Written by Laura Bradbury was my first reading and collaboration from NetGalley.
After being the first title will always have a place in my heart.
Oxford Star it is the story of a music phenomenon in the Rock Genre called Jack that after success he feels lost and overwhelmed due his mental health.
On the other hand, we have a co -protagonist called Lucy, a future Lawyer and a ex singer who leaves home to help her mother and ten year old sister.
One flight; the beginning of an old love.
This book has important topics such as; Forgiveness, Panick Attacks, Anxiety, success and loneliness.
The reading is smooth and fast but there a lot of extra info that is unnecessary (in my personal opinion)
The story is Fresh, and most of the time I had Harry Styles on my mind.

(3.5 stars rounded down to a 3)

Oxford Star by Laura Bradbury is a contemporary enemies-to-lovers romance with some steam. It can be read as a standalone, but is the second book in the Romancing Oxford series.

Jack, a member of a famous boy band, has decided to take a sabbatical from performing to study astronomy at Oxford. Hopefully, this reprieve will help him deal with his anxiety disorder and debilitating panic attacks. By some coincidence, Lucy--the curvy girl that got away pre-stardom--is studying law at Oxford at the same time. To help stave off tabloid rumors, perhaps she'll agree to be his fake girlfriend.

This is my first book by this author. I initially requested this on NetGalley because there was a plus-sized heroine, but was honestly thinking about DNFing this book until I got to about the 20% mark. I kept running into an issue where some of the dialog felt overplayed and kept pulling me out of the story.

The writing definitely got better as the book went on, and in the end I was invested in Jack and Lucy as a couple. We're in both of their heads for the majority of this book, so you hear what they're thinking or feeling about the other person, but I wish they spent more time talking *to* each other. I think I would have felt their chemistry more if they were actively in more scenes together.

One of my favorite things about this book is its representation. As someone who suffers from anxiety, this book does a pretty good job of explaining how it feels. There's also some really good fat positive representation in our heroine, and there are several queer side characters.

Tropes: slow burn, enemies-to-lovers, second chance, celebrity, fake dating, forced proximity, plus-sized heroine, queer side characters

CW: parent death (off-page, prior to novel), anxiety, description of panic attacks, gaslighting, firearms, abduction

Oxford Star follows the lives of an unlikely pair. There’s miscommunication, a 4 year time lapse of separation that did nothing to change their feelings and finally some common ground.

This 8 week fake dating celebrity rockstar relationship to help hide an anxiety disorder turns into a career swap for this couple that leaves them both happy and fulfilled.

There’s also a crazy suspense scene the end that I definitely didn’t see coming and so think that element could have been layered throughout the story to build up that dramatic element and gives us more reason behind the stalker.

Overall giving this 3 stars. I liked the character development but ai just wanted a bit more depth with the friend group, more struggle and more time with the characters adapting to life in Oxford.

OK, so. I did really enjoy this book. I consistently looked forward to picking it back up and I read it the whole way through. It did seem a little like a fanfic but I actually really enjoyed this fact as it made it a light, enjoyable read. The anxiety representation was so fantastic! I also loved Jack and Lucy's relationship (when he calls her 'my Luce' <3).

All of that being said, there were some parts that gave me the ick. Firstly, Jack and Lucy's reunion happens far too early. I barely got my bearings before she begins thinking about him and then suddenly turns to find him sitting next to her (I think this all happens on page 2??) I would have loved the chance to care about Lucy and her world first. I won't lie, it almost made me stop reading. Still, I am glad that I didn't!

I also feel really strongly about the Ceilidh scene. Please, please DO YOUR RESEARCH before you write scenes regarding Irish culture. Once again, I nearly stopped reading here. As an Irish person, I found it borderline offensive. Please don't use British songs and call them Irish. We fought long and hard to be separated!

This was an easy mindless read. It wasn’t anything super special. But overall it was enjoyable. Definitely something you can read when you got a lot on your mind.

This is a second chance, fake dating romance novel featuring a plus-sized heroine and a rock star suffering from panic attacks. Jack uses his fame to study astronomy at Oxford, but his past catches up with him when he encounters Lucy, the woman whose dream he stole. Jack offers to help Lucy, but she refuses, leading to a dangerous idea. The novel explores love, dreams, and redemption in the context of Oxford University.

The book was an easy and enjoyable read, despite its serious topics. The contrasting desires of the main characters, with each wanting what the other has, was an interesting concept. I loved that they found their home and people in Oxford. My favorite character is Jack, as he was a communicative character, who preferred to talk things through instead of ignoring them.

However, despite the blurb describing the book as "enemies to lovers" and slow burn, the main characters weren't actually enemies, and Jack clearly liked Lucy from the beginning. Their relationship didn't take long to develop, so it wasn't a slow burn. There were a few grammatical and punctuation errors, but the overall story was good!

Oxford Star

OH MY HEART! THIS BOOK!!!

Jack, A Pop Star with crippling anxiety and dreams of a quiet academic life studying the stars.

Lucy, A girl just trying to grasp for a way to get a better career to make a better life for her family.

Oh, and they totally have history!

These two unexpectedly run into each other again in the most surprising way, and life keeps throwing them together when all Lucy wants to do is RUN far away from Jack.

This book filled my heart to the brim. I loved these two so much. They had a lot to work through and overcome, but they did it! My favorite was how very much they talked and communicated with each other. By the end of this book they knew each other so well and it was so heartwarming to see them live out their HEA. Such a satisfying ending!!!

And the location setting for this book could not be more GORGEOUS! I love how Laura describes these real beautiful locations in Oxford to us as readers. I also love how Laura pours her own life experiences into her stories, it brings so much more depth to the story.

Highly Recommend! This book is so fun and so heart felt at the same time! Don't sleep on Jack and Lucy!

🎤 Celebrity romance
🍁 Canadians in England
💭 Second chance
⚡️ Forced proximity
🦋 Curvy fmm
👫 Fake Dating
❤️ ‘It’s always been you’

TW. Panic attacks, anxiety, mental abuse, past relative death.

Lucy Snow is starting college in Oxford, England, far away from her city in Newfoundland, Canada. She wants to leave all her broken dreams behind her and only provide for her family. it’s not going as he planned it when Jack Seary, member of a band boys, and Lucy’s former crush, happens to be her neighbor. He has trouble juggling between his always-there anxiety and the life he didn’t really want… So when the opportunity to stay longer in College arises, he decides he can do everything he can to stay and make Lucy his at the same time.

The whole book is divided into a few sections, one section equals one week of time. I can’t say how much I appreciate it. With this, we have a great understanding of how time is spent (for the main characters). Without those time markers, I’m sure the story would have felt much faster, and I’m more of a slow burn kind of reader…. So yes, bonus points for that !!

Now let’s talk about the two lovebirds : I love it when the characters have a multi-dimensional personality, when they aren’t just described as one thing, and have multiple centers of interest. It’s obviously the case with Jack, the nerdy rock star (there’s something so hot with nerds I love it !!) It makes the characters so much more real and relatable !
Their love story, although laborious, is so pure and real. Jack actually spent 4 years in misery Land, only so he can end up the way he edn up : with his Luce.

Even though I didn’t fall in love with this story, I really enjoyed it. I’m not usually a fan of ‘Fake Dating’ and I’m usually more prone to like ‘Marriage of convenience’ (Which I think are step 2 of Fake Dating) But the story felt so natural. The chemistry between Lucy and Jack was cute, the friends were so supportive of Lucy, it really warmed my heart a few times ! The ‘english university’ combined with the ‘boy band’ vibes were delightful ! I keep picturing the university in the movies, with its grandiose decor and architecture.

I did some research and even though this book isn’t part of a series, there’s another book about two people who appears quite a lot in this one. So if you like this one, you should totally check it out because I probably will. (It’s called Oxford Wild)

A huge thanks to Netgalley, the Publisher and Obviously Laura Bradbury for the opportunity to read this book !

I love Laura Bradbury’s writing, so when I saw this on NetGalley, I requested it as fast as humanly possible. Rockstar romances are always a bit of fun, and this is one with a twist. Enemies to lovers, fake dating, celebrity tropes are just a smattering of what you can expect. And add in a bit of a thrilling twist at the end? I couldn’t put it down!

Jack is a rockstar. Too bad his anxiety can’t get with the program. His panic attacks have gotten bad enough his band had to cancel a couple of shows, and now he is taking a break to try and get them under control. Lucy stepped into the role of caregiver when she was young, and she was accepted into Oxford’s accelerated law program. She figured this was the quickest path to financial stability for her family after her dad passed. Unfortunately nothing seems to be going right for her, including sitting next to the man who betrayed her 4 years ago for the the flight to England. Things have to get better from here, right?

Chef's kiss!! To start Jack. I just wanted to hug him. He's being used by his parents and manager all while trying to manage anxiety that is bordering on crippling. Him going to Oxford to go back to himself and what he loves, I just cheered him on the entire time. His passion was not the music, but the stars. I felt nervous when he and Lucy reunited for the first time. He clung to her wanting his friend back, but also having that peace he once had. I loved that he tried even though Lucy pushed him away. The high point of their relationship that warmed my heart was Jack being vulnerable with Lucy at his show. That to me was the real kick off of their relationship.

Lucy. Oh sweet Lucy. I saw myself in her. A child having to be an adult because the actual adult can't manage it. Lucy having to take care of her mom and sister broke my heart all based on a promise. Lucy going to Oxford to study law when it wasn't her passion really felt like real life. It made me question how many times did I not pursue my passion because I was trying to be the adult for someone who was capable.

The banter between Jack and Lucy was perfect. They balanced each other out and that is what I love in a book. Their ability to be raw and real with each other and get back to the base of who they are individually and together.

Oxford Star reunites Lucy and Jack, who had met when Lucy placed a Craigslist ad for a backup singer/guitarist for her audition for Canada's Got Talent, which was her dream to sing professionally and it would help her care for her mother and sister after her father died. She never auditioned for the show since Jack signed with a band and was contractually unable to play with her. As an answer to her still struggling family, Lucy makes it into Oxford, where she can earn a law degree in two years instead of the normal three. Jack, who has always been a space nerd, has been having sever panic attacks and manages to convince his manager and parents (who are actually the ones who dreamed of a rock star life for him) to let him study astrology - at Oxford.

I just adored this book. Lucy and Jack were both such good characters and I really loved the way they interacted with each other (even when Lucy was mad at him). This was very much a feel good book that could be quickly devoured on a vacation. There was a twist near the end that I normally wouldn't like because of its randomness, but other parts of the story made it more believable.

This was such a fun read! I have been in a crazy reading slump for the last month and this kicked my butt into high gear. The characters were so cute and loveable and the storyline was intoxicating.

From page one, I could not put this book down. I think sometimes we take reading so seriously that it can be easy to forget we do this for FUN. This book reminded me that reading can be fun.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Laura Bradbury for my approval of this arc!

This book caught my eye as a former student in the summer program at Oxford (Exeter College 2015) and it was such a gem getting to revisit one of my favorite places on earth through the pages of a romcom. Oxford Star was a short and sweet enemies to lovers romcom with a plus-sized FMC (love!) and a celebrity MMC. The relationship between Lucy and Jack felt natural as it moved from enemies (at least for Lucy) to lovers (what Jack wanted the whole time). The epilogues - one 3 months after the close of the main events and another 8 months after, available via Laura Bradbury's website - tidied character arcs up nicely, and gave a sweet glimpse into a happily-ever-after for our main group.

[Spoilers ahead] Admittedly, while I enjoyed the book overall, I think the hostage-taking situation was a bit heavy handed, and just seemed a bit silly in the context of the rest of the book. I wish the main conflict had been something a bit more realistic instead of "middle-aged unhinged band administrator is in love with man in his 20s and wants to off his girlfriend". Other than that, this was a cute read that I enjoyed!

I loved this book so much. It is an enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, second chance, rock star romance with plus sized representations and a story that is entwined with a character who suffers from panic/anxiety episodes. I felt for Jake and his struggles and Lucy, her character developed so much through this book as she went from taking care of others too chasing her dreams, all whilst falling in love.

This book was a lovely and on easy read that I could not put down with just the right amount of spice, nothing was overdone here.

Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Bradbury and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a cute enemies to lovers read. Wholesome, lighthearted and everything you want from a romance. I loved that the book had no major dramas, it was nice to read something that was sweet and lovely. I liked the representation of plus size and anxiety.

I didn’t realise this was part of a series so I will be going back to read the first!

Thank you to Laura Bradbury and Netgalley for providing me with the ARC copy of this book.

What an absolute gem of a book. If you are looking for something fun and simple oozing with fun banter and romance, look no further. I had no idea this was the second book in the Romancing Oxford series and now have put the first book on my TBR. You don't have to read them in order but the couple in the first series is in this second book so it's a bit of a spoiler (although with most romances, you know they get together in the end).

I truly enjoyed reading this book and devoured it in less than 24 hours. It was an easy read but by no means was the writing juvenile. You'll love this book if you like:
- witty banter
- fake relationship
- enemies(ish) to lovers
- grumpy female/sunshine male
- body positivity
- anxiety/mental health representation
- guy falls first

I loved how the relationship between Lucy and Jack developed. Unlike a lot of romance novels, the love didn't feel forced or sped up. Lucy's need to "be the parent" in her family got a tad annoying sometimes but I understood where it was coming from. Jack's whole character arc was wonderful to watch unfold though. Some of my favorite lines were from him:

"Waking up with an opulent five=foot-three inches of blue eyes, blunt words, and layers of defenses felt like the best ever dream."

"Gary said, 'She's besotted with you." 'It's mutual," I said, smug."

It was just all warm fuzzies and exactly what I needed to escape for a little while.

Was a good, cute read. Felt like there was good representation in this and definietly touched on topics i didnt expect when going into this book.

Lucy and Jack had some really nice and sweet moments in this book.

Fake dating, rock star romance with and MMC that suffers from anxiety and and FMC whos plus sized.

Famous rock star Jack Seary takes refuge from crippling panic attacks at Oxford University, only to come face to face with Lucy Snow, the crush whose life he ruined. When she refuses his financial help, he comes up with the idea of a fake relationship to dispel tabloid rumours about him and help Lucy in return.

Lucy had chosen to go for the sensible path leading to a stable income for a family, all while smothering the gifted singer in her. Jack was bound by a contract to a singing career that got him fame and fortune when all he wanted was to study stars. I loved seeing them finally take matters into their own hands and let go of their fear of failure.

The fake dating between them didn't drag. They were both open about their feelings and reconciled their differences to get to a place of loving each other abundantly no matter the limited time they had. Jack suffered from panic attacks but Lucy became his safe space and they allowed each other to be vulnerable. I loved seeing that.

I loved the skulk as the gang was affectionately named by Shaun the fairy godfather 😂 Cedar and Alfie's story sounds wild 🤭😂 I enjoyed this!🥰

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for an ARC.

This book centers around Lucy Snow and Jack Seary. They were supposed to audition for a singing show together when Jack bailed on her to sign a contract for a band. Cue four years later after not speaking, they end up sitting on a plan together on their way to Oxford where they will be students for 8 weeks. The rest is history as they say. I really enjoyed the development between them from friends and then more. I loved how the author highlighted the anxiety that they both have, Jack with his panic attacks and Lucy with feeling responsible for supporting her sister. I also enjoyed that Lucy is not a rail thin model and how good Jack makes her feel about that, This books shows vulnerability on both sides and how amazing it is when one person decides to take the first step. The only reason I am giving this book 3 instead of 4 stars is the end. A situation happens that came out of left field that I felt while getting Lucy to make a major decision could have happened in another way. Overall this was a very enjoyable read! I have added book 1 in the series to my TBR. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.