"Bad Publicity" had an interesting premise and some genuinely funny moments, particularly in the witty banter between the main characters. I appreciated the author's attempt to explore the chaotic world of public relations and the pressures of maintaining an image. However, the plot felt a little uneven in places, and some of the secondary characters could have been more developed. While I enjoyed parts of the story and found it entertaining enough to finish, it didn't quite leave a lasting impression. It's a decent read if you're looking for something lighthearted, but it wasn't a standout for me.

3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book has all the ingredients for a solid second-chance, enemies-to-lovers romance, an ambitious heroine, a globe-trotting book tour, and a past nemesis turned unexpected love interest.
The setup was fun and gave me early Emily Henry vibes, with smart banter and that familiar slow-burn tension!!

However, while the premise pulled me in, the execution didn’t fully land for me. Andie’s internal conflict felt real, but her actions often seemed inconsistent or confusing, which made it hard to stay fully invested in her emotional journey. I appreciated that the story tackled some deeper themes beneath the rom-com packaging, but the tonal shifts didn’t always blend smoothly..

That said, the travel settings were a highlight!
The locations weren’t overly described, but there was enough detail to ground the story and give it that escapist feel. I also appreciated that the enemies-to-lovers arc felt more grounded than usual, though I wish the emotional development between Andie and Jack had been explored more deeply on-page.

Overall, a decent read with an intriguing setup and some strong moments, but it left me wanting a bit more consistency and depth.

"A sparkling novel of second-chance romance and rebuilding after loss, in which an unexpected reunion could lead to a career-ending catastrophe or a new lease on life and love. . ."

At first I felt like I was reading an Emily Henry meets The Hating Game type of novel, and I was hopeful! Then the uncertainty of the female MC's actions just left a sour taste in my mouth. Having an unreliable narrator was not the way to go for this novel. It feels like he did something almost illegal to her. So it's very uncomfortable to read.

I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite deliver. While the writing was solid and Jack, the male lead, was wonderful, Andie, the protagonist, was incredibly hard to like. I understand the impact of trauma and don’t dismiss it, but the author took Andie’s character to an extreme that made her emotional intelligence seem non-existent. She came across as selfish and juvenile, which made her difficult to connect with. It was especially frustrating because the writing itself was engaging. I really wanted to like Andie, but it just didn’t happen. I wish Gillam had spent more time developing Andie’s character early on, giving us a chance to understand and love her before revealing her more self-destructive side. To make matters worse, she has someone as wonderful as Jack completely devoted to her. This story had the potential to be something special, but it focused too much on Andie’s self-inflicted struggles. Honestly, I found myself wishing for better for Jack, and as a result, the ending felt unsatisfying.

Bad Publicity is a fun, fast-paced romp through the messy world of fame, lies, and PR disasters. Bianca Gillam serves up scandal, sass, and just the right amount of heart in a story that feels like a binge-worthy drama you can’t look away from. The twists keep coming, the characters bring the drama, and the stakes are deliciously high. It’s witty, wild, and totally addictive—perfect for anyone who loves their fiction with a side of chaos and a whole lot of attitude.

3.5/5 stars
Griet is such a monster to over come and the way the author spoke about Andie's grief is something I know a lot of people can relate to. I just feel like the romance was on the back burner with this one. This book should be categorized as a
"Finding Yourself" kind of book verses a romcom. The center of the book had more to do with healing, moving on, and learning how to be happy with yourself than it was about romance. Don't get me wrong, this story was beautifully written and made my heart break to the point where I had tears streaming down my face from it.
I have read quite a few "enemies to lovers," "second chances" where grief is present, but so is the romance aspect of it. I feel that Andie and Jacks back story was something different, maybe less serious or a situation that wouldn't hold as much resentment or animosity then their romance would have been more pronounced.
I still enjoyed this book immensely and adored every character. Sara is someone who you clearly want as your best friend. Supportive in every way, but will also call you out on your wrong doings and how seeing someone you love hurt themselves, is also hurting you too. Jack was the definition of patience. He was so patient, kind and was just there for Andie and when he heart was breaking for her, ugh mine broke too.
I would definitely recommend this book to someone who enjoys contemporary books, with a side of romance.

A quick, easy, enjoyable read.

Only reason I couldn't give it another star is it felt like there were too many plot lines happening at once that all were revealed at the same time. I wish some revelations came earlier in the book. This also felt like more of a contemporary romance than a rom-com. But overall I enjoyed the characters and finished it in a day!

Okay, it wasn't easy to turn my tangled thoughts into something slightly organized.

Andie's dream job as a senior book publicist quickly becomes complicated when she discovers her main author is Jack Carlson, the man who ruined her life in university five years ago. Now, she needs to figure out how to survive a month-long European book tour with him. She is determined not to let their complicated past derail her career opportunity – even if she occasionally fantasizes about running him over with a car.

The main themes of this book are grief and friendship. The romance is in the background.
Since the first few chapters, I had no empathy towards Andie. I found her extremely annoying and rude to her mother. I understand she was avoiding all thoughts about her father, therefore, not giving much attention to her mom, she never griefed properly and still doesn’t want to face those feelings but damn.
And for a second, I even thought she might have been romantically in love with her best friend. Maybe I'm just bitter and lonely.

I was waiting to feel butterflies like I always do when I read romcoms, but that didn't happen with Bad Publicity. As I mentioned, the romance is in the background. Andie hates Jack with all her might for something hideous he did to her that we have no idea what it is. I felt like they barely interacted throughout the story, so I couldn't even root for them. Also, because Andie is the least likable character I've ever read in a while.

I'm not saying this is a bad book. It's well written, but it's not a rom-com. Andie, trying to deal with the death of her father, is the biggest story here. And that's why I'm rating it a 2-star, because I came here for a silly enemies-to-lovers, but it's a bit deeper than that, without any warning. That should be mentioned somewhere in the summary.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was described as a rom-com but it wasn't very funny. More than anything, it's Andie navigating her grief. I don't mind difficult or 'unlikeable' protagonists but Andie didn't have any quality that made me root for her, and found myself not enjoying her character in the slightest. By the time the reveal of what happened between them came, I was checked out.

Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.
I didn’t click with this and honestly the amount of contempt and anger that Andie had for Jack with absolutely no explanation to the reader was super frustrating.

It felt like a book that wanted to be about grief, but also a romance and story of friendship and growth. Sometimes it felt like too many things were being juggled and none of them fully felt flushed out. The big reveal of why the two main characters weren’t friends felt forced, and didn’t feel like that part of the storyline had closure. 3.5 stars, rounded uo to 4 on Goodreads.


Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The set up is this: Andie’s dream promotion turns into a nightmare when she realizes the high profile author she’s working with is the man she despises from her uni days. Andie can’t stand to be near Jack, but she can’t pass up a European book tour… She’s just going to have to work through it.
Key tropes: Enemies to Lovers and Second Chance Romance

My thoughts:
I loved this and couldn’t put it down! It’s crafted to be perfect easy reading material, but that being said, this is not the light-hearted rom-com it’s been marketed as, it’s the story of a young woman navigating difficulties in her twenties but with a strong romantic element. It deals with some heavy topics, and it’s not a breezy story -check content warnings accordingly- but it wasn’t a downer overall.
I’m huge on a strong setting and Gillam does a great job of setting up each location. She’s not description heavy like you’re right there with the characters, but there’s a sufficient sense of place for so much travel and some recognizable locations.
This is perhaps the first time I’ve found the whole enemies-to-lovers concept believable and haven’t found the enemies set-up to be laughable. It was excellent use of a popular trope.
A small complaint: I wanted more. I’d have liked some more exploration of the characters romantic connection (it felt like it was rooted in more than attraction but this was mostly off-page) and I wish it had been longer. I liked the ending, it felt right, but I wish there had been one more chapter as I found I was almost satisfied.

Final note: With such a strong debut, I can’t wait to see what the author writes next.

I loved parts of intentional writing, it made me feel the ache of grief, of a strained friendship, and the suffocation of withholding your struggles and thoughts while simultaneously trying to hold your life together. I did not like how long the miscommunication lasted.

Andie shines in those classic rom-com vibes, full of hilarious misunderstandings and charmingly muted moments. Yet, the story doesn't quite capture that deep romantic soul needed for a romance novel. While some plot points are beautifully detailed, the ending feels a bit rushed. Jack's respectful nature is sweet but can sometimes feel a tad much. Overall, it misses that spellbinding romance to be a true love story. Still, Andie dazzles in those iconic rom-com scenes with delightful miscommunication and a playful reluctance to let others share their views.

2nd chance romance after misunderstanding in college. Late 20s FMC and MMC. He’s an author and she’s his publicist… forced proximity, enemies to lovers, slow burn. He falls first. He’s gorgeous (obvi). Spice is 1/5. She’s a bit self-absorbed, but you find yourself rooting for her to figure her life out. 3.8/5

I enjoyed this debut novel by Bianca Gillam. It was thoughtful in its exploration of grief and navigating adult friendships, but it was not a rom-com as advertised. This novel follows Andie who starts a new job as a publicist only to find out her first big client is Jack Carlson a man she does not like from her past though we don't know why. Now she must go on a long book tour in Europe with this man she despises. The story really just gets right to that main plot point with no lead up and keeps the circumstances around their past very vague. Were Andie and Jack friends, lovers, academic rivals?? Why does she hate him so much? He is so kind to her throughout the all this so the enemies part of the enemies to lovers was very one-sided. I found that I really needed to know what Andie and Jack's past was in order to buy in and care. The chemistry was there, but the emotional tie in for the romance was not. The book also wasn't that funny. Beyond a few clumsy acts from Andie, the book mostly dealt with her grief in losing her father and how that has effected her relationship with her mom and best friend. Even her past with Jack turns out to be brief and sad. I liked her friend Sara and her mom grew on me by the end. A few moments did bring tears to my eyes. I enjoyed the travel throughout Europe. I think the author did a good job creating the setting.

Overall, I would recommend this book, just not as a romcom. I look forward to what Gillam writes in the future. Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC!

I really like the premise of the book and also loved the middle-end of the book starting around chapter 17 but up until that point I found it really difficult to root for Andie because of how seemingly rude she was acting towards her mom, Sara, and Jack. I think once we got some more context Andie became a much more likable protagonist and much easier to root for, but until that point I found it hard to root for her in the story.

Bad Publicity is an absolutely stunning debut. It is well-written, charming, and laugh-out-loud funny as it covers deeper topics that pour reliability into the pages and invite times of personal introspection for the audience. For the Emily Henry fans out there- this book reminded me of Beach Read in the most complimentary way. I would give it more than 5 stars if I could. I read it in one sitting and cannot wait to read everything Bianca writes.

Rating: 3.5

Bad Publicity surprised me. I expected something light and romance-forward, but what really stood out was the way grief shaped the main character’s entire emotional world. That line “Hating him was the most alive thing I’d done in years”, really stuck with me.

You can feel how scared she is to connect with people again, how much she’s holding herself back because of the pain. That felt real.

I do wish I understood more about Jack—why she fell for him, and why he felt the same. Their chemistry was there, but the emotional side felt rushed. Also… what happened to Robbie?? I kept waiting for closure that never came.

Loved the setting though, especially the Shakespeare and Co. scene. I felt like I was in it. The ending felt a little quick compared to the slow burn pacing, but overall, it had something to say—and I’ll definitely check out whatever Bianca Gillam writes next.

If it were possible, I would give the first 75% of this book 2 stars and the final quarter 4 stars. Andie is one of the least likable female main characters I’ve ever read in a romance novel. Her self-absorption is endless and the number of times she could have avoided future pain and conflict if she just stopped interrupting people is ridiculous. However, in the last bit of the book, her redemption arc is finally completed and I’m unsure if it would have been as satisfying if it weren’t for all the unnecessary strife in the rest.

On the other hand, Jack is a wonderful book boyfriend. Thoughtful, considerate, emotionally mature…. He definitely deserved better than Andie’s BS.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book, and many thanks to the author for wrapping it all up nicely.