It's evident, my fellow book enthusiasts! I relished "Happy You Know It," and I absolutely adored "Daydreamers"! So, who could possibly prevent me from eagerly diving into another Hankin novel? This time, she's decided to whip up a delightful rom-com tailored precisely to my cravings—featuring the irresistible enemies-to-lovers trope. It's a theme that falls somewhere between the bane of my existence and a guilty pleasure I simply cannot resist.

Buckle up for a rollercoaster of hilarity, heartache, and unexpected romance in Laura Hankin's latest gem, "One-Star Romance." Hankin, known for her impeccable sense of humor, delivers a narrative perfectly tailored for the millennial reader, where jokes and dialogues seamlessly blend into an honest and relatable storytelling experience.

The premise is both cringe-worthy and utterly captivating: Natalie, an aspiring writer, and Rob, a rigid academic, find themselves as reluctant maid of honor and best man at their best friends' wedding. The twist? Rob had given Natalie's debut novel a brutal one-star review on Goodreads. Cue the awkwardness and tension.

While Hankin's previous works leaned towards women's fiction with a romantic subplot, "One-Star Romance" takes center stage as a full-blown romantic comedy. The characters might not win you over immediately, but that's precisely the point. Throughout the narrative, they undergo significant growth, and the well-executed time jumps help in showcasing their evolution.

This book is a delightful summer read, offering a perfect blend of romance, humor, and deeper reflections on friendship, adulthood, and the inevitability of change. The story navigates through different time periods, spanning years, flawlessly capturing the characters' growth and the dynamics of their relationships. Hankin weaves a tale that feels incredibly authentic, exploring themes of identity, career pursuits, enduring friendships, and the complexities of maturing in your mid-twenties.

The heart of "One-Star Romance" lies in its portrayal of human experiences. Natalie and Rob, the main characters, navigate the ups and downs of life, making decisions that not only shape their relationship but also impact those around them. The novel beautifully unfolds through poignant moments and witty dialogues, delving into conversations about chasing dreams, long-term friendships, and the inevitable The narrative shines a spotlight on Natalie, the struggling writer, and Rob, the career academic, as they grapple with their own dreams and ambitions. Despite initial clashes, their undying love for their best friends keeps pulling them back together, creating a dynamic that is both bitter and prideful.

The tension between Natalie and Rob reaches its peak when they are forced to spend more time together due to unforeseen circumstances. As truths unravel, the story takes a poignant turn, revealing that sometimes, our harshest critics can also be our most ardent admirers.

Overall, "One-Star Romance" is a well-crafted tale that seamlessly combines humor, romance, and deeper reflections on life's complexities. Laura Hankin's witty and heartfelt writing ensures that this book is not just a romance but a celebration of friendship, growth, and the beautifully messy journey of being human. Get ready to laugh, cry, and cheer for Natalie and Rob as they navigate the tumultuous path of love, one star at a time.

This four-star read is a must for anyone seeking an entertaining and thought-provoking escape into the world of modern romance.shifts that come with growing up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me this heartwarming book's digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest opinions. I wholeheartedly enjoyed it!

One-Star Romance was an easy 5 star read for me! I really enjoyed The Daydreams, so my bar was high, but Laura Hankin certainly delivered with this slow burning romcom. I loved getting to know these characters, and I was particularly delighted by Hankin’s exploration of the way friendships grow and change over time.

BookTok was right—this was a perfect premise!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the ARC!

From reading some of the other reviews, I feel like I missed something here. I did not have the same reaction as other readers - unfortunately, this book was not a hit with me. it felt very (very) slow and the characters were hard to connect with. As one reviewer mentioned, the characters were not meant to be likable (?) at first... but I just couldn't get past those tough parts. Maybe they did turn things around and become more relatable, but for the most part Natalie felt like a complainer and Rob was easily forgettable. I'm sure - as many of the reviews show - that this will be a book some love. It just wasn't for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I read through chapter 7 (15%) and put it down, and when I picked it up a week later, I couldn’t remember a thing. Unfortunately not memorable. I reviewed chapter 1, and the writing is solidly okay. It felt very generic, and it will probably be an average three star, four for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

I loved this book. So fun and entertaining. I enjoyed the time lapses that happened. Helped cover a lot of time in a quick way.

This is my fourth Laura Hankin novel and I like to give the author credit for helping me branch out and try new genres way back with Happy & You Know It in 2020. Prior to that, I was strictly a thriller and historical fiction reader. Hankin showed me that reading something that isn’t about crime or war could be… fun! Who knew!?

Anyway, I love Hankin’s sense of humor which really shines in all of her novels. Her writing is perfectly geared to a millennial reader without the jokes and dialogue being too over the top or forced like a lot of other books. It all just comes across as totally honest and relatable.

One-Star Romance has a hilarious premise: your best friend is getting married, you’re the MOH, and the best man who you’re stuck with for the weekend gave your debut novel a one star review on goodreads. Yikes.

To me, this felt like a full blown romantic comedy whereas Hankin’s other novels were more women’s fiction with a romance b-plot. I enjoyed seeing this side of the author and it was still a really unique story.

I will be honest and admit that the characters are hard to like at first, but THIS IS THE POINT! We see them both grow and evolve and the time jumps helped a lot.

Overall, I think this will be the perfect summer read. A fun romance with some heavier subject matter (and a time jump to pandemic times, you’ve been warned) that explores themes of friendship, growing up, and growing apart.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader! All opinions are my own.

i love enemies to lovers it is elite and this book was so cute and fun ughhh i loved it! the writing was fun

this was so beautifully done! a great cast of characters that follows a story of growth, change, and friendship. if there's only one way to describe this book, it would be humans being human. the characters, especially our main ones natalie and rob, are moving through the motions of life; we follow them as they make decisions that impact the trajectory of their own personal relationship along with the relationships of other characters in the novel as well.

one star romance is broken down into certain time periods that span years and while i find that, that can be hard to do well, this was certainly not the case. we really get to see the growth that these characters go through because of those time jumps. the writing is well done, witty, and incredibly heartfelt. there are conversations on identity, career outlook, chasing your "dreams" (whatever that means to you), long-term friendships, maturing and change and what that looks like in your mid-twenties as you enter your early thirties. i related and connected so deeply with these characters; while the story does follow an overarching romance, friendship is really at the center here and is easily the best part of the novel.

this is my first laura hankin book, but it won't be my last! im excited to pick up more of her work very very soon.

Thank you @berkleypub @berkleyromance for this NetGalley ARC of One Star Romance!

I was a big fan of The Daydreams, so I was excited about this one. And it did not disappoint!

Y’all know I am not typically a fan of the miscommunication trope. However, I think we can allow it when they have only met like 3 times and each was increasingly disastrous 😂

Above all, Nat and Rob are ride-or-dies, and honestly I respect that so much.

🌟🌟🌟🌟✨

Natalie is an aspiring (and struggling) writer. Rob is a career academic. Their best friends are a seemingly unlikely pairing that are madly in love - and despite their own differences, Nat and Rob hit it off as well when they meet at their engagement party.

As maid of honor and best man, the two are tossed together repeatedly. At first, Natalie is optimistic - until she realizes that Rob wrote a one-star review for her new novel, and the tension between the two comes to a head when she confronts him on it.

Both stung by the barbs thrown and eager to never see each other again, the two part ways. But one other thing they have in common is their fierce and undying love for their best friends - a devotion which brings the two back into each others lives again and again throughout the years, each interaction tinged with bitterness and pride.

But when tragedy strikes, the two are forced together for the longest duration yet; and the truths that come out show everyone that sometimes our harshest critics are also our biggest fans.

If there has ever been a single book that has EVER made me believe that LOVE like this, in the books could ever exists or truly lasts forever and ever, THIS IS IT.

I enjoyed One-Star Romance! I liked that the story took place over different years. It was nice to see how the characters developed over time. As someone in their late twenties (yikes..when did this happen?), I could relate to Natalie and Rob's struggles. Even though Natalie got on my nerves at points, I thought the author did a wonderful job creating realistic and flawed characters. I didn't mind the slow romance between Natalie and Rob. I liked seeing their relationship develop over the years. The only critique I had for this book was the random Zuri chapter. Although I enjoyed reading what happened with her, it felt out of place. If you're a fan of Emily Henry and Carley Fortune's work, give this book a shot! Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

I really liked this! It was deeper than I thought it would be. I was expecting a silly romcom. It made me cry and laugh! The chemistry between the main characters was sizzling!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I was expecting a fun rom-com and then was almost reduced to tears because this was surprisingly profound? Like, this was deep and introspective and quite meaningful to me as an adult around the same age as these characters who has experienced way too many of the same doubts and worries.

This story takes place over the course of nearly a decade and covers pretty much every interaction between Natalie and Rob due solely to their individual best friends marrying each other. Every up and down these two have in their own spheres is either a warm hug or a gut punch that feels so real. Career successes and failures, dating and engagements and devastating splits, friendship break-ups, navigating life as your friends grow up around you and you're still stuck in a rut.

Don't get me wrong, this has a happy ending, but there's one hell of an emotional and heartwarming journey to take first of two characters pushing each other to be their best selves. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys being destroyed by books like those of Emily Henry. And thank you so much to the publisher for the early copy!

The chemistry between the protagonists was palpable, evolving from initial animosity to a simmering tension that kept me eagerly turning pages. The supporting cast of friends adds an extra layer of comedy and sincerity, acting as both unwitting matchmakers and witnesses to the protagonists' evolving relationship.