I started out loving Oxford Star. I am not kidding, I laughed out loud like 5 times in the first 3 chapters of the book. The books follows Lucy as she unwittingly because reacquainted with her teenage first love Jack, who is now a mega rock star in need of a sabbatical. They both were supposed to audition for Canada's Got Talent, but Jack betrayed Lucy by signing an exclusive contract to join a band known as Northern Junk. Four years later the two end up at Oxford College together. Lucy begins studying for an advanced pace law degree to support her mother and baby sister since her dad died in a boating access. Jack is suffering severe panic attacks and starts a research project on his favorite star in the universe (he's an astronomy nerd). Through forced proximity and a fake dating scheme the two fall back into love with each other and come to term with the way their futures are shaping out.

I really liked the romantic scenes that the author thought out. There were several super cute things that Jack did for Lucy that really warmed my cold dead heart. She has a penchant for fairy lights, which is a surefire way to get my mental picture of the scene to go into overdrive. I also enjoyed that Jack was not aggressive in the alpha male way that many rom-com's portray. Even though he's a mega star, he's down to earth and normal in a nice way.

I was severely disappointed with the absolutely unhinged turn the very end of the book took. I feel as thought the usual third act break up in rom-com's would have been way more agreeable than dramatic scene that solidifies Jack and Lucy's love. I know that this will also be a niche take, but it's clear the author doesn't know how the scientific field works. The idea that a student could, in less than 6 months, make a major academic discover, write, and publish a paper is laughable. That's just not how it works and irritated me rather than what I'm sure was supposed to be a heart warming ending. All of the junk in the last two chapters was what made me knock a star off of my rating.

This was such a brilliant read, I couldn’t put it down and finished it in less than 48 hours! Despite not reading the first book in the series, I still found I was able to follow along easily and got to grips with the characters.

I always love when there’s plus-size representation in romance novels and I thought this story handled it well. Lucy and Jack are loveable characters that you root for throughout the story.

Oxford Star was a good contemporary romance book that included a few tropes that I like for an example fake dating.

Apparently this is book number two in Bradburys new series called Oxford and I don't know how I have missed the first book that goes by the name Oxford Wild.

In Oxford Star we get to meet the main characters Lucy and Jack.
Lucy was really easy to like from the beginning since I felt like she was a strong young woman with a sharp tongue. When it comes to Jack it took a few pages in before I really liked him. He is a rock star who is a space nerd and struggles with his mental health.

The writing and story was really good and I finished reading it in just a couple of hours because I didn't wanted to put it down.
Now I will try to get my hands on Oxford Wild to get to know Alfie and Cedar that also appears in this one.

I give this book ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5.

Thank you so much to the author herself for allowing me read this one through NetGalley.

4.5 *

Oxford Star is a story about Lucy and Jack, about second chances in life and in love. They met while rehearsing for a Canadian singing competition, but Jack's career took off while Lucy's didn't. Unfortunately, when they parted ways, Lucy felt betrayed by Jack, who signed a deal right before the competition and left her hanging, thinking she'd just go perform on her own. She did not, and left deciding to never sing again. Several years later, they cross paths again, both headed for Oxford to study. Lucy has decided to study law, in order to better support her mother and sister. Jack has taken a hiatus from performing in a bid to get his massive anxiety under control while studying his true passion of astronomy. Lucy is very unhappy to learn that Jack will be invading her new home, but hopes she won't see much of him since their subjects of study are so different. For his part, Jack is happy to be near her again, and hopes she can get past her anger and allow herself to get back to singing. Due to her overwhelming sense of responsibility, Lucy feels that she has no choice but to study law, and Jack feels trapped in his singing career by a ridiculously bad contract. Can they manage to free themselves and find a way forward, doing what they love, together?

I thought this book was just lovely. As a music lover and occasional reality-tv watcher, I really liked the rock star/musician aspect of the story. I also adored all the star talk that was sprinkled throughout.

The spice level felt just right; not overdone, but definitely not invisible. There were some very romantic scenes, and I felt some flutters at times. It was very sweet, and a fun story to read that had a couple of very tense moments.

Oxford Star is a story that would be great for readers who love a good second chance romance, a bit of enemies-to-lovers, some close-proximity, and a lovely found family that are worth their weight in gold. I would definitely recommend this for a light, sweet but spicy read.

Jack Seary has loved Lucy Snow for the past four years. Yet all Lucy feels is betrayal as Jack stole her dream of a singing career. So, when they meet again, all their past rushes back to them in full force. Yet now, Jack is a famous rock star, who suffers from debilitating panic attacks and has escaped to Oxford, to pursue his childhood dream of studying astronomy. Lucy is also attending Oxford, to gain a degree in law, to financially support her mother and sister. And when Lucy finds herself agreeing to be his pretend girlfriend, to help save him from financial ruin, Lucy can’t believe how much she wants to save him.
I enjoy the dual POV and how it was handled in this storyline, as it gave me an opportunity to explore the issues that both Jack and Lucy had. Jack’s admiration for Lucy is apparent from the first page, and his perception of Lucy, is a far cry from the one that she has. Whilst Lucy sees him as a gorgeous and successful rock star, his internal dialogue and how he acts, does not reflect this. Jack is sensitive to others, and his crippling anxiety attacks, make him so relatable. He sees Lucy as a beautiful, talented woman, whilst Lucy struggles with her own worth. It was so lovely to see the self-confidence of both characters grow, as they spend time together. A sweet read with a slow-burn romance.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I found the book to be swoony and romantic. It's a second-chance rockstar friends-to-lovers romance. Although I struggled with the connection between the main characters at first, I found that the book's second half was more substantial in character development and communication. The representation of Jack's anxiety and panic disorder was approached well, and I appreciated Lucy's supportive role in this. Although Lucy's growth was slower, I appreciated her realizing that taking something for herself was okay. The Oxford setting provided a fun and historical backdrop to the romance, and I appreciated the body positivity and how it was woven into Lucy's story. Overall, I found this book quite entertaining, and I recommend it.

4 cute romance story

Author Laura Bradbury takes us back to Oxford in this charming romance. I read the first Oxford book right before this one, so that felt fun to revisit old friends as some of the same characters appear in both books.
Just like Cedar in the first book, this one has two new Oxford students coming from Canada in a new program.

We meet Lucy on the plane to London and get flashbacks from her life in Canada where she almost made it big singing on a TV talent show. Her partner, Jack, signs a big recording deal and leaves her right before they were to go on air. Lucy will never forgive him.

Now Jack has become a huge rockstar but he’s hiding a big secret, he’s paralyzed by panic attacks. He’s taking a break by studying his true love, astronomy, at Oxford for one term.

Cue the dramatic music!

Just who happens to be sitting next to Lucy on the flight to London? Jack of course!

As the two fight their attraction, fight off the paparazzi, and try to learn something, I couldn’t help but see the two of them together eventually!

Lucy is buckling down for a demanding two-year law program and trying her best to ignore Jack. I love the “fake boyfriend/girlfriend” trope and this one delivers as Jack agrees to this plan from his odious manager. Is there a way for Jack to break free of the rockstar life he doesn’t want and for Lucy to find success as a singer?

It’s a good thing Bradbury writes fairly quickly as now I’m ready for the next installment and a return to Oxford! These are enjoyable reads but have some real issues with plausible characters. I love that Lucy is a plus-size heroine and that Jack doesn’t try to change that. And it’s refreshing to see characters follow their real dreams. The focus on mental health is noted too and it just doesn’t magically go away.

Jack and Lucy were great characters and had great chemistry. Love the concept and the romantic parts of this but unfortunately for me the Oxford setting was a bit confusing. Also, the parents of Jack, his manager, and Lucy’s mom drove me crazy. Glad the author hit on anxiety and panic attacks, it’s very common and some people just try ignore it. Thought the bandmates would have been more supportive of him getting better. Lucy was a strong character and was realistic with wanting to be a star but knowing she had other responsibilities to take care of. Love that Jack made her see herself the way he saw her. Good book and am thankful for the opportunity to read it for my honest opinion. Would definitely read this author again.

Great romance, be still my heart...

I am a huge fan of Laura Bradbury, starting with her "Grape" books and continuing with her more recent Winemaker's trilogy, Unlikely Match, and now the Oxford books. This has got to be one of her best. It's a wonderful romance with all the needed plot twists and turns to keep you turning the pages! Highly recommended (as are the rest of Ms Bradbury's books). What a pleasure to read during the dreary final days of winter!

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-constrained e-arc via Netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion,

This book has an excellent concept and such good anxiety representation, but really fell flat. I love the idea of a rockstar, who is a secret nerd, hiding away at Oxford for a term. Lucy was a decent attempt at a plus size FMC with a ton of baggage. However, there was no spark in their romance and it felt very forced. The romance scenes themselves were very cringy along with how often Jack got hard at the weirdest things and nearly all the time. The ending was really so forced and odd; it had no place in the story and was just added for drama. Overall, the cringiness of the characters weren’t worth the time I spent reading this. 2.5⭐️, 3🌶

This was such an enjoyable read. Lucy and Jack made such an adorable couple, felt like they're great for each other. One thing I liked the most was that I could feel the betrayal Lucy felt regarding what happened. Lucy is a relatable character and I love the representation she brings to the story and to the readers; Jack has anxiety and I kind of like how he isn't portrayed to be anxious all the time. That's realistic. He can have anxiety and still have a social life. The story was nice overall, and I loved the ending. It really brought us back to the title ❤️ I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy second-chance enemies-to-lovers fake-dating celebrity romance. I enjoyed it fairly well and think it's worth a shot!

Whilst it is a slow burner, the book tour he's on subjects like anxiety and panic attacks in such an informative way it was a beautiful read.

I LOVE famous guy, regular girl trope and was so excited to read this! It was a slow burn and I was just along for the ride. I also enjoyed the representation of anxiety and how the panic attacks were cautiously handled.

3.5 stars

Oxford Star is a light and easy romance story that manages to tackle some not so light and easy issues.

Lucy had dreams of singing professionally but those were thwarted when her friend and crush, Jack, lets her down in a big way. To add insult, Jack is now an internationally famous music sensation and Lucy is stuck trying to support her struggling mom and sister.

Lucy is heading off to Oxford to gain a fast track law degree in the hopes of providing long term security to her family when she encounters Jack again, four years after his betrayal. Forced proximity and friends to enemies to lovers hijinks follow.

This book seemed to drag a bit at the beginning but it picked up in the middle. The ending was a bit "that came out of nowhere" though and was kind of awkward.

The characters were sweet and likeable. I appreciated the inclusion of Jack's battle with panic and anxiety disorder and that Lucy was a realistic size 16 but sexy as hell! These were not your typical romance novel heros/heroines.

Thanks to Grape Books and NetGalley for providing an ARC for my review.

loved the other book from Laura Bradbury and this was another good one. i like where the other book had gone with Oxford and this was a good one. I really enjoyed this and will read more of her books. Go and read it today.

I am a sucker for all things boy band, so when I read the summary of this book, I knew that it was going to be right up my alley! Jack is the star of an international boy band who has a history with Lucy. Jack and Lucy used to sing together and it all ended when Jack didn't show up to Lucy's audition for Canada's Got Talent. Fast forward 4 years and Jack and Lucy coincidentally reunite on an airplane on the way to England where the two plan to study at Oxford. This story has tropes of enemies to lovers, close proximity, fake lovers and of course rock star romance.

I loved this story because it takes a unique twist on the typical love story. The female main character, Lucy, is plus size and the male main character, Jack struggles with anxiety. Throughout the story you get to read about both characters journey to overcome their struggles while also of course, falling in love.

I will say that the ending of this book is a little weird, and I could have done without the little drop of crime. But other than that, this book is another perfect beach read.

It's so difficult to find compelling romance stories set on a college campus, or at least with college-age characters. This coming of age love story included all of my favorite tropes and plot lines: enemies to lovers, mental health rep, a second chance romance (but with protagonists in their twenties for a change!), and fake dating. This novel brings the drama of a high stakes fantasy romance book but keeps it within the bounds of a contemporary story. It's so unusual to find a book with positive and realistic depictions of anxiety from a male character's POV, and that's really what drew me in. Having a plus size heroine who actually holds her own and knows her worth made this book all the more enticing for me. I can't wait to start talking about "Oxford Star" on BookTok!

An absolutely enjoyable read.

Friends to “enemies” to friends to lovers? I loved it.
Had just enough of a pull to keep me reading. The pull between the two characters was good and made me route for them.

If you’re looking for a charming, cozy, modern romance book than look no further. I read the authors note and it confirmed what I suspected while reading, that she knows what it’s like to navigate the world as a size 16 and with panic. It’s the first time in awhile I haven’t cringed at a romance describing mental health and bigger bodies like they are just trends to be talked about.

I really enjoyed the characters, the ode to the east coast of Canada, and the warmth of the characters. The concept of stardom was wholesome and corny in the best way.

Thank you to NetGallery & Laura Bradbury and the publisher for the ARC of this charming story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Laura Bradbury for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! As someone with anxiety/panic disorder I was really intrigued by the description. The story was enjoyable the whole way through and there were lots of unexpected twists.