This was a cute romance!

This book is a kind of second-chance romance between a rock star and the girl he wronged but was in love with since before he was famous. They meet again in the oasis of Oxford University as he is escaping the life that he thought he wanted and she is escaping feeling like the sole responsible for her mum and sister, after her father passed away. The book deals with topics like anxiety, as well as the difficult decision between being pragmatic and following your dreams.

Overall, I thought the book was good, but I thought there was something missing. I couldn't really connect as much as I wanted to the characters. I especially thought the characters that made their circle of friends fell flat for me. However, it's a nice read if you can look past these elements.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grape Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Netgalley, Laura Bradbury, and publishers for gifting me a copy of Oxford Star in return for my honest review.

3.5/5

TW- Panic Attacks, Anxiety

This book reminded me of a soap opera. Which to me wasn't a bad thing, who doesn't like to just sit back and enjoy some drama? There was so much going on with this book and you honestly did know where it was going to take you next! Again not a bad thing in my eyes. It was a very easy, bingable read that I enjoyed from start to end.

Lusy has decided that the best way to support her family is to take a scholarship and get a law degree from Oxford. On the plane ride over who is sitting next to her but the boy who broke her heart, and her confidence, when he ditched her half an hour before her big audition. Lucy is understandably mad and what she doesn't know is that it is Jack's biggest regret. Lucy is even madder when she finds out that not only is Jack going to be joining her at Oxford he got in due to him being friends with one of the big wigs at the college. Will Lucy get her confidence and start pursuing her dreams of singing? Will Jack overcome his panic attacks and finally start living the life he wants?

The characters were well-written and I could feel how much they each cared for the other. I wasn't sold on the reason why Lucy wasn't following her dreams. I got it but to a point, I just wished she had grown a backbone. Jack was the same, I could feel his pain through Laura's writing and it made me fall in love with him.

I also really enjoyed the secondary characters and I can't wait to go back and read the first book in this series! This did read like a standalone, but I'm looking forward to getting to know some of the background characters that I loved having their own book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Im going to jump straight into the review. Plotwise, i think it was slow-paced, with a lot of fillers which is great for elaboration aspects. However, some of the fillers felt unnecessary and made the book lengthy. I would love it if it was shorter instead. Next, the characters. Personally i didn't really like Lucy. She's amazing, confident and i do like that about her. But something just rubbed me in the wrong way. Maybe the way she speaks with Jack kinda pissed me off. I understand she had a grudge (which was valid) and hatred against Jack for what he did to her, but the fact that she thought only her that is miserable and Jack has it all makes her look unlikable to me. But other characters made me enjoyed the book so it redeemed that part. I guess I had a different perspective with this one. Nonetheless I did enjoyed the love story.

I loved the "Canadian goes to Oxford" plot in Oxford Wild, so I was really excited to get more of that in Oxford Star. This time we have Newfoundlanders unexpectedly ending up there together, which gives them an opportunity for second chance romance, culture shock for Oxford's ways, and great chances to drop Newfie references (like, did you know there is a town in Newfoundland called Dildo? I've actually been there!).

Lucy and Jack both endeared themselves to me quickly. I identified strongly with Jack's panic and anxiety disorder (his "square" breaths), and need for a career change in part due to his mental health. I really appreciate when this is handled well in fiction and Laura Bradbury does that wonderfully. Lucy's grief journey, self image as a curvy girl, and need to take care of everyone else before herself (even if it means putting aside her own dream) were pain points I loved watching her work through.

The romance was believable and sweet, and the spice was just right. The stargazing night on the roof? Yes, please!

I thought Lucy in the sky with (as) a diamond was a pretty wonderful conclusion.

I will definitely be recommending this book to my audience and look forward to more from Laura Bradbury.

Oxford Star by Laura Bradbury

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley for review. My opinions are my own.

5/5 stars

I LOVED this second-chance love story. Could not put it down. If I had the time, I would have finished it in one day. Alas, work called my name, and I begrudgingly finished it in a couple of days.

I loved this story of Lucy and Jack, where they reconnect at Oxford University after a four year hiatus. They had been very close in high school but circumstances had pulled them apart. Jack has since become a pop star while Lucy is a practical woman attempting to earn a law degree. This book chronicles how they end up back together.

Oxford Star had the perfect amount of smut without being overly done, in case sex isn’t your thing.

Loved this book.

Jack and Lucy and Oxford - three central characters! Laura Bradbury has so much obvious affection for these two, and for the city of Oxford and the college experience. The details about college life flesh out this light and charming romance. Not everything works perfectly (there’s a lot going on!) but this steamy and fun romance was a hit for me 🥰

Thanks so very much to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a cute celebrity romance / enemies to lovers read! It was cute and short, very nicely paced. All of the characters were likable. This is the first book I've read by this author, but it definitely encouraged me to buy her first book so I can get more of the whole skulk (the amazing group of friends). I demolished this book in two sittings (thankfully I had time to read on a plane because I did not want to put this down!). I also loved how there was plus size representation without it being a plot point. I love seeing women like me in books just confidently living their lives. I also loved that this book took place at Oxford, it gave me wanderlust which I love! Thank you to NetGalley for this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐️!

Wow, what a wonderful and cute romance was it with some healthy dose of emotions and depth.

A world famous Rockstar with millions of adoring fans but secretly struggling with crippling anxiety + a curvy, bold and intelligent heroine who gives as good as she gets and can sing like an angel? I loved this pairing.

Jack and Lucy was so in sync with each other and had a strong connection. I loved how their story progressed and all that romantic gestures of Jack.
And that dreamy friends group they got… sigh! Loved the name for their group-SKULK (a group of fox).

There is something about a story that set in Britain that push all my buttons. I loved the charming way all the British slang, people, geography and alleys were portrayed.
Oh, and I hated Gary!

I didn’t give it full stars because Jack didn’t check on Lucy even once after he got famous, even though they were very good friends and secretly loved each other. Their meeting again was pure coincidence.

Overall a very well written romance with charming backdrop, deep characters, angst, self discovery, friendship and finding love again and fighting for it.

Recommended.

Laura messaged us to offer us an ARC of this book, but we had already got one on netgalley! We were so interested in it. Just look at this cover-Adorable. The setting is Oxford University, a favourite of both Amy and mine. The characters: a famous rock star with crippling anxiety and a plus sized heroine who gave up her dreams to support her family.

This book is fantastic. It’s a rockstar + regular girl, enemies to lovers, fake dating, second chance romance, that’s a slow burn but so spicy. The chemistry between Jack and Lucy is phenomenal! There’s a twist at the end that I never saw coming. Throw in a bookstore sleepover, and stargazing on a roof and I am head over heels for this book.

This is the second book in the Oxford series, but can be read as a stand alone. You know I like to read series out of order. It’s just one of my quirks.

“How could a life that looked so glossy from the outside feel so terrible on the inside?” (Laura Bradbury, 2023, quote from ARC)

3.5 stars.
Adorable and relatable characters, including a self-confessed nerd rock star with anxiety issues and a devoted daughter and sister wasting talent with some kind of martyr complex, make “Oxford Star”, by Laura Bradbury (Grape Books) an easy, entertaining and compelling read.
I loved the main characters – Jack, Lucy - their altruism, devotion and love for each other, and the differences that make them fragile, vulnerable and very human and relatable.
Jack’s panic attacks and anxiety were well written and I appreciated that the author didn’t sugarcoat its debilitating and sometimes bewildering effects. It’s rare to find such a good depiction of these conditions.
It’s ironic that such a famous and privileged person hides so much pain.
The way the author characterized both protagonists’ appearances was compelling, too, creating a good visual image of them.
Their reencounter was so cute. I liked the second chance they’re given in several dimensions of their lives. Having dual point of view was helpful, too.
I felt the transition from music to astronomy was perhaps a bit simplistic. Emphasizing the hero’s nerdy tendencies was achieved more by telling than showing.
There is also a lot of mutual lusting over the characters’ physical attributes.
I liked the setting and the secondary characters and how they are so supportive of the protagonists.

A light and easy (but very steamy) second chance romance, Oxford Star is a pretty solid story, perfect for when you want a guaranteed happy ending and some characters to swoon over!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was so cute! One of my favorite tropes is a celebrity romance so this was right up my alley. I felt it was easy to read, engaging, and had just the right amount of spice. I loved Jack and Lucy. I think the way their history was woven into the present day was well done and was rooting for them all along. The ending felt a bit rushed but otherwise it was great.

This was a really fun read! It had a lot of things I like in a book! Set in England, a boy in a band, and a really cute love story! I loved that Lucy was a more normal body type and struggled with loving herself. Also, I loved that Jack represented anxiety so well. This was a great book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading Jack and Lucy’s love story.

3.5 stars!

"Oxford Star" by Laura Bradbury is a bit of a mixed bag for me. The book starts strong with an engaging, intriguing premise, but gets bogged down along the way by this and that. The main characters, Lucy and Jack, must get reacquainted with each other after Jack broke Lucy's heart, and took her place in the spotlight, years ago. Jack has been in love with Lucy ever since they were teenagers. Even after he broke her heart, he never stopped pining for her. This book has great panic attack/severe anxiety representation. I appreciate the way Jack's attacks aren't written to make him look "less than" (which I've seen other books do in the past!). I love how Lucy doesn't hold back what she thinks, even when faced with insurmountable pressure while being at the lowest of low points in her life. When Lucy unexpectedly bumps into Jack on an airplane to Oxford, she's not interested in reconnecting with him, and she tells him as much! She's strong but also vulnerable and not super confident in her abilities as a potential lawyer or as a singer. There are a couple of strong moments of connection between these two characters, but it's not full of the best chemistry. Luckily, it's not a tough book to get through, and I read it in just a few sittings.
I was not too fond of the third act with the random antagonist of the book. I saw this plot point coming from a mile away, but it made little sense and doesn't fit with the rest of the story. It's also a little silly to think that, after a few weeks in Oxford, Jack winds up doing what he does in such an inordinately short amount of time?? Like, no way is that even possible? I know this is fiction, but *come on.*

One thing's for sure, I will definitely keep an eye out for Laura Bradbury's future works because she made me laugh on multiple occasions while reading this book. It just felt like it needed more tightening and editing, plus a reworked third act. I'm seriously still scratching my head about that one.

Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Bradbury, and Grape Books for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.

This book was perfect! Enemies to lovers, fake dating, famous and unknown. It was absolutely amazing. I would give this a 6 star review if I could.
I just reviewed Oxford Star by Laura Bradbury. #oxfordstarlaurabradbury #NetGalley
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I had somehow overlooked the first installment in Bradbury's Oxford series, Oxford Wild, yet Oxford Star turned out to be a nice modern romance novel with a few tropes that I enjoy, such as fake dating and second chance romance (I am a sucker for second chance).

I really loved how Laura Bradbury tled about anxiety/panic disorder. And I really loved that they together learned how to live for themselves and not for others anymore, it is such an important topic !

NB: there is still some editing mistakes that break the fluidity of the reading pace (at least in the version I received)

A fun read, enjoyable story line and characters than you want to have a happy ending, definitely one for the beach this summer

I love all of Laura Bradbury’s books, and Oxford Star did not disappoint. This was a cute love story between Lucy and Jack that left me wondering all the way until the end how their life predicaments would be resolved. I admire the author for making Lucy a huskier young women. Most love stories always have beautiful sexy women, so it was nice to read a more realistic romance. My only issue with the book was the ending. The lady with the gun was a bit far-fetched. Otherwise, great book!

I really enjoyed Oxford Wild and I loved Oxford Star! I really liked the story execution and the way heavy topics were addressed.

Jack and Lucy 🤌🏻

I just finished reading Oxford star by Laura Bradbury and here are my thoughts.

When Jack starts to feel the anxiety and burn out from being a rock God, he takes refugee at Oxford for 8 weeks to study. He didn't expect to be sitting next to Lucy on the flight there. The girl he fell in love with and left before the biggest audition of her life.

Lucy gave up on music when Jack abandoned her right before they were both supposed to go on stage and took to studying law. She is at Oxford for the same 8 weeks as luck would have it and her and Jack… across the hall from each other.

It's like fate. He needs to have a fake girlfriend so the paparazzi stops thinking he is in rehab and she needs financial support for her mother and sister. It's a win win right? What could possibly go wrong?

Ok I'm all for cute romance stories but this one might have been too cute for words.
I connected with Lucy right from the get go! She takes the weight of the world on and the brunt of the responsibility for her family.

I am still a little upset with Jack for abandoning her. His excuse for not going was flimsy and I get he was young but…. I'm a grudge holder. I did find the banter between the two of them was quite adorable and the storyline throughout was well thought out and I really did feel engaged all the way through.

What didn't I like? I found the ending a little u realistic but other than that… I thoroughly enjoyed this cute little romance read.

4 stars. Would definitely read more from this author!

Thank you to @netgalley and grape books for my review copy. Out now!!!