This was a debut with a fresh take on celebrity and PR drama. I really enjoyed the premise and the behind-the-scenes look at damage control in the spotlight. While the setup was strong and the banter entertaining, some of the characters and emotional beats felt a bit underdeveloped. I liked the chemistry between the leads, but I wanted a little more depth in their connection. Overall, it was an enjoyable read with promise,

Bad Publicity was such a fun, romantic story. Great banter, fun chemistry and a truly enjoyable read.
From the first page to the last, this book held me spellbound. The characters are so richly developed, and the storyline is beautifully crafted.
Bianca Gillam really makes the reader experience the emotional highs and lows throughout the novel.
The chemistry between these characters feels genuine, and their witty banter is entertaining.

I’ll start with what I liked about this book. I love a book about people who work in books! I have to say I did enjoy all of book related parts of the plot. Also, I felt that the main characters grief and how that played into her relationship with her mom was done very well by the author. As well as the MMC’s backstory. But, what did confuse me at the beginning of the book was the main characters visceral hatred for the mmc, it was almost too much at some points. Especially when there is a premise like this the crime is never as bad as the punishment. But, I feel like this is the first book I read where i feel like she forgave him too easily. Like I understood when he explained himself to her but before that I don’t think she should’ve given him any grace or worked with him at all. Which brings me to my next issue which is this big conflict between the two characters was so unexpected. We got no inclination about what caused them to stop being friends, I really think this book could have benefitted from a prologue where we can see a preview of the characters’ conflict and then we get into the story.

This was such a cute book. It felt like a romcom but it also dealt with serious topics, such as cancer, bullying, death of a parent, and sexual harassment, very well. I loved Jack and Andie so much!!! Their relationship was so well written and developed well throughout the book!!

I enjoyed this book, but it did fall short for me. The MC was just not all there for me. Overall not the worst.

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!! The tension, the enemies to lovers, the second chance just LOVE IT ALL! Bianca is an amazing author and is going to have a very successful time in front of her! I am excited to have her on my list of autobuy authors!

I needed a good romance to read, and Bad Publicity delivered. Andie has started a new position as a book publicist, but she finds herself going on tour with the one author she would like to avoid...Jack Carlson, whom she has a past with that she's been trying to forget for the past five years. Back at university in Edinburgh, they had a brief relationship that ended in emotional turmoil and heartbreak for Andie followed soon after by her father's death. Now, the two are thrown together and while she tries to hate Jack, there's just something there they cannot ignore.

This novel explores emotional trauma stemmed from bullying and sexual harassment, so if those are trigger points, be warned. There's not too much detail but sometimes the telling of these types of events can be difficult to some. Bianca Gillam does a great job of building characters, especially Andie in her portrayal of the deep emotional scarring she has held over time and grief that for some is hard to overcome.

This was a quick enjoyable read as well as a sweet romance.

Thank you to Penguin Books and NetGalley for the ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you NetGalley Bianca Gillam and Penguin for this ARC. Officially the book is 2.75 stars. If you are looking for a quick read to bring you some immediate satisfaction - this is it! I wasn’t expecting so much grief. The writing shows promise for a debut novel! I thought the author did a good job describing the locations and I enjoyed the book publishing storyline. Forced proximity and second chance are my favorite! I enjoyed the chase through the book to find out what their history was. The pacing of the story wasn’t as consistent as I thought it would be for a book of this length. I would read another book by this author.

I enjoyed this book and read it under 24 hours! This story covers Andie and Jack’s romance. In my opinion this was good book to clear your book palate. I felt like the author really wanted it to make it an enemies to lovers but Jack treated Andie like he loved her the whole time. I resonated with Andie’s stubbornness throughout the storyline but I do wish that told use about the history earlier because about 50% through I was like okay can we know what he did for you to write him off. This book was ok but the history was lowkey flat I didn’t really feel the spark between the couple I felt like it was all about the potential or history of couple and not necessarily about the present. Rating 2.99/5 stars

Hashtags : #enemiestolovers #secondchanceromance #grief

On the first day of her new dream position in publishing, Andie sees Jack’s name on the list of authors she now represents. It couldn’t possibly get worse from there… except it does because she’s about to spend a month with him on his European tour for the launch of his fiction debut.

It would be fine, if not for the fact that they haven’t seen or spoken to each other since their catastrophic fallout back when they were schoolmates; an event that Andie has come to largely associate with the worst loss of her life. And Jack continues to make their agreement to pretend nothing happened and act like strangers harder every day Andie spends with him.

The first line of this book was the word “f*ck,” which made me like it right off the bat (it’s my favorite swear word, what can I say?).

I admit that I took a pretty long break in the middle of this because I didn’t prioritize it, and then I put off writing this review for almost a month, so I don’t actually remember a lot of the specifics. However, I do know that this is a pretty solid romance with plot lines that I definitely haven’t seen before, which I think is really hard to do in this genre and I found it very refreshing.

I constantly found myself thinking about How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days—mainly because of the name association between the female leads—and Leap Year—because of their rough experience on the Dublin part of the tour—while reading, and I think that somehow made the experience more vivid for me. It felt like one of the classic romantic comedies the late 90s and early 2000s were constantly churning out that always satisfy that itch in my brain.

Overall, it was a pleasant surprise that 100 percent made my midnight Tube ride from the airport better.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin for this e-ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bianca Gillam, and Penguin Books for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I genuinely think someone on the publishing end messed up in the marketing of this book, because I understand where the low ratings are coming from now. For a book that's marketed as a second-chance romance, this was the most depressing romance book I've ever read in my life.

Andie wants a fresh start. After a disaster at her university in Edinburgh leaves her upset and heartbroken over Jack Carlson, she attempts to move on from everything. Five years later, when she lands a job as a senior book publicist, she runs into Jack again when she finds out her first book campaign she'll be working on is for his debut fiction novel. He's the last person she wants to see, but she'll have to spend a month on the road with him traveling across Europe to Berlin, Paris, Dublin, and London and try not to kill him--or redevelop feelings for him--in the process.

All in all, I didn't think that the writing was absolutely horrible for a debut. I flew through the entire book in one day; the chapters were short and the story was engaging enough to keep me reading because I love a book that dives into the publishing industry and what happens behind the scenes with all our favorite books that we read and the book tours and campaigns the authors go on to promote their book.

If you read the official synopsis/blurb of the book, you'll assume right away that you're signing up for the "sparkling rom-com" that is a laugh-out-loud, palate cleansing, second-chance romance, right? NOPE. Not once did I laugh. Not once did I giggle and kick my feet.

Whoever did the marketing or the blurb for this book has some serious explaining to do, because what was supposed to be a rom-com turned into a story about Andie processing her grief over the death of her father, who passed away five years ago. The majority of the story is Andie (mostly) running away from her problems instead of facing them head-on. I understand that people process grief in different ways, and there's no set timeline for grief and how long you can mourn someone for. However, it was getting to the point where she was self-sabotaging herself and her relationships with the people she loves. I felt bad for her best friend Sara; she had to sit there and almost push her issues aside to try to make sure Andie was okay the entire way through her book tour and I don't think Andie ever once cared to ask if Sara was okay and doing well in NYC. I didn't think the subplot with Sara's life in NYC was relevant to the story at all, though; it was kind of irrelevant to the entire story and it didn't feel necessary to include.

As for the whole "second-chance romance" aspect to the book, we don't even know WHY Andie is upset with Jack until around the 80% mark of the story. We get the first 80% of the book, which is Andie being passive-aggressive and rude to Jack with literally no explanation or backstory as to why she treated him the way she does, and I found it totally uncalled for...until the 80% mark. It was a totally valid reason for her to be upset with him for what he did, but there were SO many times where Jack wanted to explain his side of things to her and she would just refuse to listen or cut him off and walk away. Once we get Andie's perspective on what happened, I literally said, "Oh fuck no," and wondered why she still had feelings for him even though he did what he did. Once we get to hear Jack's side of the story, it makes a little more sense and things start to fall into place a little more, but I wish that this was explained earlier on in the story. Does it justify anything he did to Andie? No, but I can see how there was a gray area in his choice in doing so.

If you're looking for a happy ending to this story...look somewhere else, unfortunately. I can see why the story needed to end the way it did, but for a story so depressing and advertised as a rom-com, you would think that it would have an HEA. Nope! The epilogue is somewhat open-ended and you can come up with your own ending in a way depending on how you look at it, but I think I set myself up with that one, thinking that a depressing book would have anything else but a somewhat depressing ending.

Overall, I think that advertising this book as a rom-com is giving the book bad publicity (pun intended) in its own right. It wasn't a "sparkling rom-com," it was a contemporary fiction book about grief, processing it, and finding a new way to move on in life. I think that if more people went into this book knowing that--and I should emphasize that the synopsis doesn't give ANY indication of that being anywhere in the book-- then more people would have a better opinion on the book overall. However, to disguise a book with such heavy topics as a rom-com is doing readers a disservice.

⭐⭐⭐

Bad Publicity
Author: Bianca Gillam
Source: NetGalley
Publication Date: May 20, 2025

Another delightful enemies-to-lovers trope featuring the LFC, Andie, who obtains a new and significant job as a senior book publicist. Her first client, though, is the successful MLC, Jack Carlson, a very famous writer. This would have been her dream job, but Andie & Jack’s have a secret past from their days at Edinburgh University marked by bitter feelings. Despite their animosity, Andie is determined to succeed and must work with Jack on a European tour to promote his latest fiction novel. The tour is grueling, and it’s challenging to sympathize with Andie. I can understand holding a grudge for almost five years, but this takes it to an extreme. Of course, Andie is also grappling with the loss of her father five years earlier, which explains her constant tears throughout the book. I was beginning to wonder if the emotional rollercoaster would ever end. Thankfully, the story concludes on a satisfying note, leaving me with a pleasant and heartwarming read (without the tears). Jack’s efforts to win Andie over eventually pay off, and he receives a chance to redeem himself. This book has great potential, and I eagerly anticipate Ms. Gillam’s next work.

#Romance #Contemporary #Enemiestolovers #BookWithinBook #fiction #secondchanceromance  #forcedpromimity #workplace romance #netgalley
@penguinbooks @netgalley

I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel.

The cover and synopsis of BAD PUBLICITY suggests a light romance with an enemies to lovers trope. This is not that book. This book is about long term grief unaddressed and poorly understood. Does that make it a better book than described? Well, it’s neither fish nor fowl. There’s not much romance and the deep secret causing all the problems is not enough to justify the contretemps. This is a difficult book to enjoy. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

thank you to netgalley & penguin for this arc! unfortunately it just really wasn’t the book for me. i know grief affects a lot of us and the way we try to avoid grief is to work around it & do constant avoidance to forget that time. andie continues to push jack away at every opportunity, and the moment she let him in for one second they immediately stop once more and are back to square one.

this entire book andie runs from everything - her family, jack, even her amazing best friend sara. like, we all need a sara in our lives. she was the only character i was content with. everyone else needs to get a grip - yes, jack knew he was at fault for how andie chose to put a space between them, but all i’m saying is that every choice has an effect…

First thank you to penguin books and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

⭐️⭐️💫 2.5 stars

Synopsis: Andie has finally become a book publicist and is going on tour with a star author. The problem is the star author is her ex who made her life in college hell. She is going to Europe with him who is still really good looking but she still hates him. Will they get through the tour?

What I liked: enemies to lovers is a hard troupe to perfect and this book fell flat for me. Andie really hates Jake her ex and star author and it didn’t bring tension just hate. The chemistry wasnt there when the romance came along.

I really loved the premise of this book but the execution let me down. Don’t get me wrong I still enjoyed it, but I think it had more potential.

I really wish Andie’s character had been developed more and that she had worked through her grief better. I feel like she doesn’t really work through her issues, and she just kinda sits with them and they weigh her down. I just needed more character development.

I do like how this book discusses grief and I enjoyed the romance, even though it was more of a side plot. But I think Andie’s reason for hating Jack was so stupid. The reveal of what happened between them just frustrated me. I couldn’t believe THAT was all it was.

I definitely had a few issues with this book, but it truly wasn’t a bad book. It just needed a little tweaking and I would have liked it more.

Bad Publicity by Biannca Gillam is a sharp, emotionally layered debut that blends romantic tension, workplace chaos, and the quiet ache of grief into a compelling second-chance love story.

Andie is a powerhouse New York publicist barely keeping it together after the death of her father. When she’s assigned to run a European book tour for the one person she swore she’d never speak to again—Jack Carlson, her college ex turned literary heartthrob—things get professionally and emotionally complicated fast.

What makes this story stand out is its honest portrayal of unresolved grief and how it intersects with rekindled love. Gillam writes Andie’s inner turmoil with sensitivity and realism, never letting the emotional weight overshadow the slow-burn banter and mutual pining that romance lovers will eat up. Jack is charismatic yet grounded, and the chemistry between them simmers on every page.

This isn’t just about a PR tour gone wrong—it’s about choosing vulnerability, owning your past, and deciding if someone who once broke your heart deserves a rewrite. There’s a touch of glamour in the book-world setting, but it’s the emotional moments—quiet confessions, late-night arguments, lingering stares—that really steal the show.

“You never stopped being a chapter I wanted to reread.”

Final Thought:
If you like your romance with bite, depth, and a realistic look at grief and forgiveness, Bad Publicity will stick with you longer than your average rom-com. It's a heartfelt debut worth the buzz—and definitely worth the emotional unraveling.

An enemies to lovers, close proximity work place romance. The author and the publicist. And a month of European travel for his book tour.

Except. They have history. They went to uni together. It's only a matter of time before everything explodes, and its unclear if it'll be in love or in hate.

You can tell right off the bat that Jack is trying SO hard to resolve whatever went wrong. And Andie won't let him. She's down right hostile from the get go. It took 20 chapters for the reader to get a glimpse as to get to why she hates him so.

Overall I did enjoy this book. I loved the story, the travel, the bookishness of it all. But Andie was one of the most absolutely insufferable characters I've read in a long time and Jack did not deserve the amount of hate she sent his way throughout the book, her supposed bestie also didn't deserve all the conflict that was sent her way either. Andie was dealing with 5 years of hurt in the unhealthiest way possible and it showed.

This book easily could have been one that hit me in allll the feels (one of the my favorite things) but I just can't get passed the FMC. I also would have loved to have more once things were resolved, it felt like an abrupt ending for a book with some fairly heavy sub plots lines.


Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Books | Penguin Books for the ARC in exchange for my review!

Angie is taken aback on her first day as a senior publicist when she discovers that her main client is Jack. The same Jack that ruined her life back in university. Now she has to make it through his book release tour without running him over with her car. What could go wrong?

While this seems to be marketed as a rom com, I don’t think I would put this book in that category. Even though I went in with the mindset of a fun and light romance, I was not disappointed by the story that I got. The depth of grief one can feel when it’s all piled on top all at once is so real. I felt that this book took a real look at what can happen if you let your grief fester and try to lock it away. The romance did take a little of a back seat, but I feel like it’s exactly what this book needed. The “big bad that Jack did” reveal felt a little late in the book. I think I understand that the author was trying to build up to the reveal, but once we got there, I was more frustrated that the true villain didn’t get adequate punishment. Overall, I did enjoy the story. I just also kind of wish we had an epilogue to see how our couple turned out.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book.

thank u netgalley for the ARC!!! i DEVOURED this book in one setting, literally did not get up from bed and stayed up waaay too late reading it. i loved it tbh, just wish there was more insight into the MMC’s social/family life and more of an epilogue / past the happy ending