Thank you NetGalley and Laura Bradbury for my copy of Oxford Star. I thought Oxford Star was a great fast read. It was the second book of a series which I did not know but you don’t necessarily need to read the first book to understand. I personally enjoyed it and will continue with the series. At some points it did feel rushed especially on how it ended but I felt the romance was at a good pace to follow plus I felt that they truly care for each other.

Oxford Star is such a great love story. I absolutely loved that the MMC is the one with the anxiety, as it is usually women who need *help* from the male love interests. The portrayal of the mental illness also felt incredibly authentic to someone, who also suffers from panic attacks. I really really enjoyed this book. The writing was lovely, as were the characters and their connection!

Oxford star is a contemporary romance that includes rockstar romance, fake dating, and a sprinkling of enemies to lovers. The main characters are Lucy and Jack and we meet them at Oxford University. Jack is a singer who has anxiety and has decided to head to Oxford to take a break. Lucy is his ex who also attends.

I really love Lucy. She’s funny and witty and overall just has a great personality. She’s the type of person you would meet and just totally want to be friends with. Jack was great too, but Lucy really stole the show.

What I didn’t know before reading this one was that it’s actually part of a series, but it can definitely be read as a stand-alone.

Definitely pick this one up if you are a fan of forced proximity, childhood crushes, enemies to lovers, and second chance romance.

Thank you to Net Galley for a chance to read this ARC.

Prepare to be swept away by Laura Bradbury's mesmerizing novel, "Oxford Star." Bradbury brings to life the enchanting story of Jack and Lucy, two individuals bound by an unbreakable connection and a shared past that refuses to be forgotten.

In this captivating tale, we meet Jack, a renowned pop star, and Lucy, a determined law student at Oxford. Their lives may have taken divergent paths, but their unfinished business continues to pull them together, refusing to let time or distance extinguish the flame that once burned between them.

Bradbury's masterful storytelling effortlessly transports readers into the glamorous yet tumultuous world of fame, where Jack is caught in a whirlwind of adoration, paparazzi, and constant scrutiny. Despite his seemingly perfect life, Jack finds himself haunted by the memory of Lucy and the promises they left unfulfilled.

One of the highlights of the book lies in the rich tapestry of side characters that Laura Bradbury masterfully brings to life.

2 things I didnt really like:
1. Lucy's frequent mention of her weight and size throughout the book seemed unnecessary and somewhat distracting. While body image can be an important topic to address, it felt somewhat forced and took away from the otherwise engaging narrative. A more nuanced exploration of Lucy's insecurities and self-acceptance could have been achieved without continuously highlighting her weight.

2. Lucy and her dramatic "ache to sing". Like relax girl, it's not like we all go through life with a need to do a math formula or a neeeed to mow the lawn.

All in all, a great book and one i would read again!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. All views are my own.

Lucy and Jack have a history, and she hates him for it. Or does she? When they meet again at Oxford university, the old flame reignites and they are fighting for their happiness.

This is a cute romance that touches on mental health problems, anxiety etc. I loved the story. It was beautiful without unnecessary drama, their love story was believable and both MCs plus their friends were lovable characters.

this book was so so good.

love a second chance romance, give me all the pining and angst! and fake dating?! say no more!!

i read this book in one day, i did not want to put it down.

i loved jack and lucy as well as their "skulk" and let's not forget Robbie! all of the characters in this book were so good. the oxford terminology confused me a bit at first but i got used to it.

i didnt realize it was a second book until after i had finished and i'm definitely going to read the first one now, i loved cedar and alfie!

thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to love this book!

If this book were to be a movie it would be epic!
It was that good.
The tension, the chemistry, the understanding love between them.. it was all 10 out of 10!
Highly recommend it!

Oxford Star is a fun enemies-to-lovers romance with a plus sized heroine. This book was a slow burn that kept me wanting to read just one more chapter.

He's a rock star, she's an unwilling law student...but four years earlier, she was taking her chance at stardom only to have him pull the rug out from under her feet. Now fate throws them together for an eight-week term at Oxford, where she's studying law to provide for herself, her mother and little sister, and he's hiding from a life in the spotlight that he's come to despise. Can they course-correct back to the lives they each wanted, or is it too late?

I received an ARC of this book (thanks!) and these are my own opinions.

It was great to be back in Oxford, this time with Lucy and Jack. From the get go, I enjoyed this book a lot more than Oxford Wild. It was fun to see the characters from book 1 appear and interact with this new couple, and I am hopeful that we will see more in future books.

Lucy and Jack were very cute together and I enjoyed reading how they worked through their history and feelings. It was nice to have an "us against the world" kind of vibe.

Enjoyable book and I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

This was a great enemies to lovers trope, with a rock star aspect added in. I liked that the main character was a plus size woman and the male main character had panic attacks and anxiety. I liked that those things were represented in the book. Jack goes to Oxford in order to help himself get rid of the panic attacks but instead he runs into Lucy, a woman he hurt in the past.
This was a slow burn romance with a happy ending and I enjoyed reading it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Many thanks to the author publisher and Netgalley for a free ARC of this ebook.
I wouldn't wish to be disrespectful to this author by giving a poor rating as this book just wasn't to my taste at all. There are some nice descriptions of Oxford and it gives a good background to student life there. Other than that it wasn't for for me.
2.5 stars.

In my heart of hearts, I’m just a big history nerd who loves to read and fangirl. Growing up in Arkansas, I had zero idea that regular people could apply to and attend Oxford – it seemed like something only the very smart and very rich and very British were allowed to do.

So in a lot of ways, I am extremely the target demographic for Laura Bradbury’s “Oxford Wild” and “Oxford Star,” romcoms set at – you guessed it – Oxford, and following Canadian grad students sent there on a philanthropist’s grant.

In Oxford Star (which can be read as a standalone, but heavily features the characters you meet in Oxford Wild, just fyi!), we get the story of rockstar and budding astronomer Jack Searly and determined law student Lucy Snow: Newfoundlanders with a rocky history.

Though this book is breezy and charming in many ways, I do wish it had clung a little more firmly to the tension and drama between between Jack and Lucy, and really let things simmer before hitting the boiling point.

Overall, this is a fun, quick romcom read that also successfully delves into grief, anxiety, and the courage to go after your dreams, no matter what they might be.

Oxford Star is perfect as a palate cleanser or just for a weekend of easy reading. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself sighing dreamily while Googling the Bodleian and the Bridge of Sighs.

Oxford Star: 3🌟 | 2.5🌶️

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this unedited ARC.

Pros: I was immediately drawn in from the hook of this book. Rockstar struggles with debilitating panic attacks and wants to quit a life of fame to be an Astronomer. Girl struggles to attain a law degree that she hates just to support her mom and sister after her father tragically passes away. The plot stayed true to the hook, with sweet moments that had me highlighting in my kindle left and right. This was a very quick read for me that had me wanting to turn page after page because of the alternating POV between Jack and Lucy. If you’re looking for a feel good, predictable, romance to get you out of a reading slump– this one may be for you!

Cons: This book was a little too “Harry Styles Fanfic” for me. While I enjoyed my time reading it, there are other second chance romance novels that I would recommend over this one; sections of text from both POVs seemed unrealistic and forced. For my friends that enjoy a clean read, I would point you in another direction; I personally enjoy reading clean romance that relies more on dialogue and internal monologues to show the depth of the romance between the characters, instead of steamy sex scenes, but that’s just me.

well, i really wanted to enjoy this book more than i did. i tried so hard. i read the entire thing and it just still wasn't for me. tragic, but it happens! so. that's that. thank you so much, netgalley! you're the bees knees!!!

Oxford Star was the first book I read by Laura Bradbury, and I enjoyed it enough that I immediately looked for the earlier entry in the series after finishing this one. Oxford Star is a second chance romance that follows pop star Jack and aspiring singer Lucy through a term at Oxford University. The characters are likable and three-dimensional, the Oxford setting comes alive, and the friend group adds humor and interest. Recommend for fans of romantic comedies and celebrity romances. Thank you to Laura Bradbury and Grape Books for the ARC.

Lucy has to be one of my favorite people right now. She was so strong and cared so much for her family that she put herself last. She was a dutiful daughter. Then she runs into Jack again.
I didn’t like Jack at first. The whole bad boy rock star vibe I was getting in top of the fact he ditched Lucy when she needed him the most made him very unlikeable for me. But the way he continued to put her first, seek her out, and gravitate towards her really made me soften towards him. Lucy was really the star of his world.
The whole fake dating scheme was really what they needed to be honest with themselves and each other and I hate that Gary (Jacks manager) orchestrated that whole thing but it got them together that’s what mattered. I think that they could have done without the fake dating and could have just been a second chance romance because I feel that was the direction they was going to begin with.

Thank you for the opportunity to arc. This book was okay, it wasn't bad and it was well written but I just found my attention didn't hold so unfortunately I didn't enjoy the story that much

"Oxford Star" by Laura Bradbury is a compelling romance that grants its characters a second opportunity, taking place within the prestigious setting of Oxford University. Lucy has harbored resentment towards Jack for abandoning her during a signing competition in favor of a record deal. Jack, despite his success as a rock star, despises his chosen path. Fate brings them back together four years later when they both find themselves attending Oxford for a term.

I found the two main characters to be likable, each grappling with their individual challenges. Lucy's dedication to helping her mother and sister becomes a burden to her own well-being. Jack, bound by contractual obligations to a career he loathes, struggles to fully pursue his passion for astronomy. While I appreciated their personal struggles, I believe there could have been more growth between the two characters. It would have been satisfying for them to realize that their parents, who they had protected, were flawed. The conflicts are swiftly resolved towards the end, but the resolutions felt somewhat unsatisfying.

The book features an eclectic cast of secondary characters, and I enjoyed their presence. Upon arriving at Oxford, Lucy and Jack are warmly welcomed into their friend group. However, I wished the secondary characters had been further integrated into the main plot, as they appeared somewhat secondary to the overall storyline.

Although the book is marketed as a slow burn, second chance, fake dating, enemies-to-lovers romance, I personally did not perceive it as such. Despite Lucy's initial resentment towards Jack for dashing her dreams, she forgives him rather swiftly. The romantic plot also progresses at a relatively fast pace, lacking the anticipated will-they-or-won't-they tension found in slow burn romances.

In conclusion, I found "Oxford Star" to be an enjoyable read. I would recommend it to those who appreciate second chance romances or stories set within academic settings.

Thank you to Netgalley and Grape Books for an ARC of this book.

I really wanted to love this book. It had all the makings of book I normally fall in love with, all the tropes I normally love, but it just fell short for me.

I don't think there was anything actually wrong with the book, it was just mediocre - from the writing to the characters... Everything felt "just okay".

I almost didn't finish the book because I got bored of reading - it didn't hold my attention at all.