Reviews

One-Star Romance by Laura Hankin

novelgossip's review

5.0

I’ve been a fan of the author over the past few years and when I saw she was switching things up and writing a rom com I was super excited to see what she would do. Also the fact that it’s based on a TikTok she made that went viral? 🤌🏻💋Natalie and Rob are MOH and BM at their friend’s wedding and she finds out he gave her novel a one star rating on Goodreads. SUCH a good premise and it just gets better from there. I absolutely loved the structure, its split into several parts and follows both of them over a ten year period at pivotal points in their lives. As much as it’s a romance it also heavily focuses on friendships and the structure really allowed the author to show the development of all the characters over the years. It’s also really charming and funny manages to have a ton of depth that never felt too heavy. If you like slow burns, lots of humor and memorable characters this was fantastic

thebookstagrambabe's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A struggling writer is forced to walk down the aisle at her best friend’s wedding with the man who gave her book a very public one-star rating. If you like Opposites Attract and Best Friend's Best Friends relationships you'll definitely enjoy this one! Laura Hankin does a great job at pulling at those feelings of not being up to speed with the rest of your friends. As someone who is currently in that phase in life, I totally relate to the feeling of everyone changing around you while you're standing still. While this is a romance story, it hits hard on the other loves in your life whether it is familial or the friendships that feel like family. I really enjoyed this book, it's a total slow burn. I wish we had gotten to the relationship between Natalie and Rob sooner. This was more a story of missed connections or almosts.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 6/18. 

rereadsromance's review

emotional hopeful slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

One-Star Romance was a surprisingly emotional slow burn romance about friendship and love.

Natalie is a young aspiring writer; she and her best friend Gabby are in their early twenties and ready to chase their dreams. However, everything comes to a crashing halt when Gabby unexpectedly becomes engaged.

Natalie likes Angus, Gabby’s new fiancé, well enough, but she believes that Gabby is too young and full of promise to settle down at such an early age. Deep down she also fears what Gabby’s marriage will mean for their friendship.

Rob is Angus’ best friend and despite their initial attraction, he is a serious academic whose personality is the opposite of Natalie. While forced to work together as the maid of honor and the best man, Natalie discovers that Rob has given her debut novel a one-star review. This is the catalyst for the hate-love relationship they embark on over the next ten years.

Rob and Natalie come back together year after year to celebrate Angus and Gabby’s life accomplishments and each time their attraction is as strong as ever, but so is their dislike. However, as they transition from their twenties into their thirties and live through various highs and lows, they also mature and begin to realize what is most important in life.

lostinabookishworld's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I was going into this book expecting a cute rom-com and I while there were moments it was absolutely that, I felt like this was more a story that explored all types of love (familial, romantic, friendship) instead of an actual romance book. So much of the story was dedicated because our main romantic plotline, which is not a problem, but I wasn't exactly expecting that going in.

Early in the story, I was having a really difficult time liking our main character, Natalie. There were so many moments of very selfish behavior that were hard to get through and her inner-monologue was a tough hang.

I will say, the last 25-30% completely hooked me. It's where we see the most character growth from everyone and I absolutely cried a few times. Overall, while I liked this it's mostly because of the last quarter of the book that saved the whole story for me. 

arireadsitall's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This one was incredible but I’m not surprised because I have loved evening Laura Hankin has written! Thank you @berkleypub for the advanced copy! This was a romance at its core but to me this is a story about friendship and holding onto the ones that matter most as you get older. It reminded me so much of my core friends and how we have been through everything together and come out of it stronger. Natalie and Gabby felt like people I’d be friends with! MVP of this book is Angus and his emails!!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Dementia and Cancer

ggbookrecclub's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

One-Star Review is anything but one-star. After hearing the synopsis of this book I knew I had to read it: A struggling writer is forced to walk down the aisle at her best friend’s wedding with the man who gave her book a very public one-star rating. Oof, are you kidding me?

This book could have followed the first life event, initiated by the engagement and wedding of her roommate/best friend and been a complete story that was fully rewarding and well written. But this book couldn’t be stopped. By jumping forward in time it made pit stops at so many pivotal life moments following the evolution of friendship. Having long term friends is great, but keeping those relationships strong when your lives are changing(or staying the same) in dramatically different ways proves to be incredibly challenging. 

This book had me crying. The honest and sometimes gut wrenching moments, feelings, and conversations were so real. The FMC, Natalie, is a fully formed(and flawed) individual. Sometimes she just can’t get out of her own way even when she sees the wreckage ahead. But I get it. Even if your friends have something you don’t necessarily want, it's hard when their life appears to be moving forward without you. Add in Rob, the buttoned up best man, who she’s destined to run into many more times in the coming years and we’ve got that perfect push and pull tension.

But I promise, this book really is a romantic comedy. I’ve shared all the serious bits but there's some levity in there too. The antics are there. We’re talking ziplines, close quarters, and verbal sparring. This book isn’t your typical rom-com. It’s written in third person as opposed to a dual perspective. I would have loved to hear both Natalie and Rob’s inside thoughts and reactions opposed to being told about them. In the way of romance, this book gave tension and chemistry. It was at a full simmer until it had to boil over. This book isn’t necessarily a closed door, but it’s not a full fledged open door either. I would say the door is cracked-it’s ajar. It was tasteful, supported the plot, and had the “omg finally!” to the question of “will they or won't they?”

If this book doesn’t get a TV/movie deal, I’ll be SHOCKED.

the_boozy_baking_bibliophile's review

4.5

This is Laura Hankin’s first foray into romantic comedies and I have to say - she nails it. It’s not a cliche story where everything is sunshine and then rain or meet cutes and miscommunications. It’s real and it feels relatable. Both MCs are full of life and flaws and real problems that make them feel like people we could know. 

Sometimes it’s just the wrong time for the right person and knowing that some people are worth waiting for. 

aeandrews's review against another edition

funny

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

readandwright's review against another edition

5.0

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for my copy of One Star Romance! All thoughts are my own. 

Picture this: your best friend is marrying a guy you don’t think is good enough for her, leading her to move out and leave you behind. Then the best man gives your novel a one star review on Goodreads. You know he did it but you can’t ruin your best friend’s wedding…because you based the book off of her future husband. One Star Romance by Laura Hankin captures the feeling of being in your twenties, a decade of immense change, perfectly. 

I LOVED this book. I knew I would, since I’ve loved all of Laura Hankin’s books, but I loved her foray into rom coms. Rom coms are just the best and Laura brought a fresh spin to the genre. Not only are we falling in love with a couple, but we’re seeing their lives and other relationships unfold. It’s not a traditional rom com but it still gives you all the feels you’re looking for, with a sprinkle of fiction and a dash of angst. Perfect for fans of Kate Goldbecks, You, Again. 

Synopsis: 

What I Liked: 

1. The Set Up—Walking down the aisle with a dude who gave your book one star? Juicy. I was so excited to dive in on this knowledge alone!
2. The Balance Between Friendship and Romantic Love—I’ve been reading romance for a long time and it’s my favorite genre. But it’s always nice when the story feels so full and reminiscent of real life, amidst all the wonderful tropes. I loved how we equally got to know Natalie and Rob through their relationships with friends and family. 
3. The Fresh and Familiar Feeling—This book felt fresh in the sense that it felt like “more” than a romance but still had a delightful grumpy/sunshine and enemies to lovers vibe. 

What Didn’t Work: 

1. First Act Felt a Little Slow—I wish the first act had started a little quicker, there was a lot of backstory that did end up being important but I think we could have seen it later on in flashbacks or described in a different way. 

Character Authenticity: 5/5     Spice Rating: 0/5     Overall Rating: 5/5

Content Warnings:

dementia, cancer

whitneybkramer's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5