Thank you Valentines PR and Lulu Moore for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

American Kate and British Oz, rowing for rival universities, quickly fall for each other. Deciding to keep their relationship under wraps, they face the challenge of others discovering their forbidden love amongst the backdrop of rival sports team.

Rival sport teams, forbidden love, "enemies to lovers" yes sign me up! The characters felt uniquely fleshed out and all fit in the end. I love that both Oz and Kate acted mature with witty banter and sweet love for each other. Now what kept me from rating this higher? I do think the amount of rowing jargon was draining. I grew disinterested unless it was scenes outside of their rowing activities. I love a good sports romance but it was a bit overkill. Oz was great book boyfriend and their insta-love meetup was cute! I did find the falling for each other this quickly a bit far fetched but then again who didn't have a fast romance in college hehe. This is my first book by Lulu Moore but I will read Oxbridge #2 when it arrives! I am curious to see which couple will be up next.

This was such a fun and unique read! I have always been a fan of Lulu’s writing and this was no different. I know nothing about rowing, but she still managed to keep me hooked to the story the entire time.

Classic Lulu, this story was full of humor while still pulling on my heartstrings at times. This story follows Kate and Oz who are rowers for rival colleges. They find each other unable to resist one another and fall into a secret relationship filled with witty banter.

Seeing their relationship develop was so fun and so sweet. Oz hooks you from the very beginning with his charm and Kate was relatable in her stubborn and loyal ways. I loved that they simply couldnt resist one another and it just brought a smile to my face. There was tension, spice, swooning, and a friend group that was such a good time!

Read if you enjoy:
-rowing
-college romance
-rivals to lovers
-secret relationship
-he falls first
-dual pov
-slow burn

*Thank you so much to VPR, NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Lulu for the arc!

Found this book to be a cute, quick romance and loved the English university setting! the meet cute was also equal parts adorable and hilarious.
The side characters really made this book for me and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

This was a cute and sweet romance. I received an ARC from Net Galley. From the funny meet cute and their rivalry, Oar Than Friends was a great read with great characters and who knew I would learn so much about the sport of rowing. This read was truly enjoyable.

I Dnf’d at 40%. There was an info dump in the beginning that was unnecessary. A lot of that information could have been women into the story over time. The pace was slow. It started out (after the info dump) strong with the prank that the Oxford team played on the Cambridge team and then the two characters meeting, but after that nothing much happened for a while. This book was supposed to take place over a whole school year if I’m not mistake, and a quarter way through, something like 3 weeks had passed and not that much had happened. There was not enough interaction between the two characters to keep me engaged. I choose this book for the secret relationship and all I was getting was the main characters interacting with their own friends and seeing Kate settle in to uni life. I just couldn’t get into the story. 25 % of the way through the book, we had only seen Kate and Oz interact twice. They’d apparently been texting during the week between when they met at Cambridge for that first race and when they went to do community service, but we, the readers, didn’t get to see it. My problem with the lack of the interaction between the main characters is it didn’t make the progression of the relationship believable. The reason she freaked out when she found out that Oz was rowing for Oxford was because her team captain had threatened to throw anyone off the team who got romantically involved with anyone from the oxford team. And since she was on a rowing scholarship, it would jeopardize her place at the university. From what we saw of their interactions, there was no solid reason to suddenly let go of that fear and decide to secretly date him.

I just couldn’t connect with the characters or the story, so I decided to stop reading. This may be because I'm well past the age of the characters, (being in my mid 30s) and not the intended audience.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the free ebook. This is my honest opinion.

Let me start off by saying I know absolutely nothing about boat racing!!

When I started this book I was a little unsure, I wasn't familiar with the terminology etc, but after a couple of chapters things started to make more sense and I loved it!!

Kate and Arthur (Oz) were just meant to be together from the start!! However she didn't know who he was and that their relationship would be forbidden!! So they decide to start dating in secret!!

I loved seeing their romance blossom and loved how supportive he was towards her ❤️

The Christmas scenes were my favourite of the book!!

I'm so excited for more books in this series, I can't wait for more on these characters 😍

Oxbridge #1: Oar Than Friends by Lulu Moore offers a captivating blend of romance and rivalry set against the backdrop of the prestigious Boat Race. Arthur and Kate's magnetic chemistry pulls readers into their world, where they navigate conflicting aspirations amidst the intense competition between Cambridge and Oxford.
Moore skillfully crafts a narrative that immerses readers, regardless of their familiarity with rowing. With endearing characters and a compelling storyline, this book delivers a delightful escape.
Oar Than Friends is a must-read for romance enthusiasts seeking a charming tale of love and ambition. Moore's debut in the Oxbridge series promises an exciting journey ahead.

I received an ARC from Valentine PR in exchange for a review - thank you so much!
I enjoyed this book so much - I found the setting in Oxbridge super fascinating, and as someone who knows absolutely nothing about rowing, I definitely also learned a lot! But at the same time I also think that you will definitely enjoy this book if you don’t have any previous knowledge or interest in rowing!
I loved all the characters so much, the MCs and also their friends! I would love to be part of their friend group!! The book is written in dual POV, so you get to read from both MC’s perspectives - and I loved them both so much!
I thought their romance was so sweet - it was maybe a bit fast at the beginning but I was still sold, the two are perfect for each other and their interactions were so romantic!! Definitely had me swooning on multiple occasions <33 Oz was great book boyfriend material & Kate was a very relatable and likable female MC!
I’m giving the book 4.5 instead of 5 because the male MC once said something along the lines of „at least i‘m not crying like a girl“ which I really didn’t appreciate, but other than that this is a big recommendation and I will definitely read the next books in the series to see my favorite side characters fall in love as well! <3

I didn’t know nothing about rowing but omg the feels with this sport in the book, and that final race😭

I loved Oz and Kate very much, and how they meet was pretty cool and funny🙊
And I liked the atmosphere of the universities, the rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge🤌🏻

the cliches:
🛶 sports romance
❤️‍🔥 enemies to lovers
🏰 university rivals
🧸 he falls first

She was more harder than him, but in the end Kate softens and ends up falling for Oz, and this man is very persistent but adorable.
Kate’s past has been difficult to read and the situation is painful and very sad for her, my heart was hurtting at times when the characters were having a hard time 🥹 I needed them to be together NOW!
Well, right now I need the second book in the series ASAP!!!! Can’t wait for Charlie👀👀

Thank you so much Lulu and VP for the ARC✨

OK this was really cute!! My first book by Lulu Moore and it definitely will not be my last! Thankfully there was a rowing glossary because without it I would’ve been so lost..

Kate leaves home in America to attend Cambridge to study medicine while being a member is the rowing team as a coxswain. Oz is already a very accomplished
Rower but is apart of Kate rival team Oxford. While headed home one night Kate literally stumbles over Oz and they have an immediate attraction..

I love Kate and Ozzy so much.. like yes let’s meet one random night and become obsessed with each other.. that’s my kind of carrying on lol. I appreciated how the author made the college athlete/ social life/ school aspect feel really authentic… both Kate and Oz needed to make decisions that made them happy and not their families in one way or another, and thankfully they had the most amazing friend group to help along the way…

I’m so glad Kate has Imogen and Hannah and Oz has Charlie, Brooks and Olly. I remember when I first went off to school my daddy told me, you leave high school with friends, but you leave college with a new family and this book reminded me so much of that.. speaking of family I loved how welcoming Oz family was and I know I’m not the only one who needs to know who Phoebe was texting.

So this book made me want to actually see a rowing competition, so I ended up on YouTube for like 30 mins watching different rowing videos… with that being said

“No one has ever called me Ozzy, it makes me feel like I’m yours.”

Oar Than Friends follows Kate and Arthur’s story. She’s an American student who just moved to Cambridge to study medicine and be part of their women’s rowing team. He’s the son of a politician who’s always in the spotlight; he has a bad (and not real) reputation that precedes him, and is the president of Oxford’s rowing team.
The book was fun, sweet, and entertaining. Kate is intelligent and cute, and Oz is caring and loving. Their relationship is adorable, honestly. The meet-cute was great and funny, and they had a palpable instant chemistry. Although the moments of miscommunication were frustrating (yet not uncalled for, since they’re college students), their relationship’s development was on point. I loved reading and learning the progression of their feelings and how they were so supportive of each other.
There were some deeper themes – such and grief – that the author portrayed very well in the story. As someone who knows nothing about rowing, the book was amazing. I felt genuinely curious and liked learning about it. I also loved the college rivalry that gave a bit of a forbidden and enemies to lovers taste! And I definitely adore the way Lulu Moore writes about friendships and found family.
The book was overall great and gave me so much joy. It felt kinda slow at some points (mostly at the beginning), but it’s a good read and worth giving it a shot!
Thank you, Valentine PR, NetGalley and Lulu Moore for the opportunity to read this book.

I really struggled to get into this book and unfortunately didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped that I would

Oar Than Friends is the latest sports romance from author Lulu Moore and the first instalment in her new Oxbridge series. It is the love story between Kate and Oz, two athletes competing for rival university rowing clubs, set against the backdrop of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.

I grew up around 30 miles from Cambridge so have followed the boat race for years and it was the perfect backdrop for a rivals to lovers sports romance. Lulu Moore nailed the blend between the story being focused on the romance but also including a good amount of rowing content leading up to race day.

If you’re a sucker for a romance story where he falls first and harder, you’ll absolutely love Arthur Osbourne-Cloud (or ‘Oz’ as he’s known). I very quickly fell in love with Oz’s charm and when he said he had known Kate for “fifty-six hours, and I’d thought about her for every single one” he awarded himself the award for my absolute favourite book boyfriend of 2024 so far. He was a swoon-worthy MMC and his nicknames for Kate and little romantic gestures throughout the story completely stole my heart. Hearing his girlfriend cry on the phone and instantly jumping in the car to drive two hours to see her? Now THAT is what we’re talking about! I was really rooting for Oz and Kate right from their brilliant meet cute scene until the end of the book; they were a brilliant match.

Our story is told through a dual POV narrative and I LOVE this in a romance story. Hearing the MMC’s POV adds something so special to the story, particularly when it’s a ‘he falls first and harder’ story, and this was perfectly illustrated by Oz who spoke about Kate in the sweetest way. Oar Than Friends does also have some fab open-door spicy scenes but these felt really realistic which I loved.

Kate was a brilliant strong FMC and it was great to see her grow in confidence as the novel progressed and begin to really advocate for her own needs and dreams. The loss of her elder brother was well explored, as was Oz’s difficult family dynamic.

Oar Than Friends also has a fantastic cast of supporting characters who brought so much to the story and I’m excited to potentially return to them later in the Oxbridge series.

In Kate and Oz we have an American FMC and a British MMC and I loved this dynamic. It does mean that we see Kate use American terms rather than British ones (e.g. dorm, campus) which could be a bit grating for a British reader but I didn’t really mind it at all.

Humour was woven into the story brilliantly and I particularly loved how British the humour was. Kate and Oz had brilliant banter and we had some fantastic flirty moments in the early stages of their relationship. I also loved the individual chapter titles and they often made me giggle.

Overall, Oar Than Friends is a fantastic rivals to lovers sports romance novel which is packed full of witty banter, charm and loveable characters.

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/ 5

I have posted my review on my blog www.yourschloe.co.uk

*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity. Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House.

Lulu writes the best sports romances and when I saw she was writing a rowing romance, I knew I needed to read it immediately. She sure didn’t disappoint!

“She's rowing for Cambridge. He's rowing for Oxford. But they just can't keep one another at oar's length . . .”

I loved Oar Than Friends so much! Oz falls so hard and fast for Kate from the moment she literally crashes into him. Kate is a breath of fresh air for him and they immediately hit it off. She doesn’t know him or his background. She doesn’t know he’s row for the rival team.

Kate tries to resist him. Ignores his messages. Avoids him when she sees him. But Oz is charming and persistent and Kate can’t get him out of her head. He’s not the guy that everyone made him out to be and he is so determined to prove to Kate he’s the one for her. I loved the chemistry between these two!

I love a sports romance where they are both athletes and you get to see them practice and compete. They are both so dedicated. I love the long time rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge. It added a fun element to the story.

I highly recommend this one!

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Kate Astley has travelled half way across the world to fulfil her late brother's dream, and earn a medical degree at Cambridge. Her future is all planned out, and with her scholarship, she needs to work hard to keep both her studies, and her rowing career on course. It's going to be hard, but she can do it. However, meeting Arthur, and falling head over heels for the Oxford captain was not in the cards. So when their worlds collide in a truly unexpected way, and they will be competing head to head at the annual Boat Race, neither Kate nor Oz know how their love will survive.

I just loved this book. I'm not a sporty person, and I very rarely watch the Boat Race when it's on the TV, but from the first few pages in this book, I was hooked. Kate was someone who knew what she wanted, but was also willing to fulfil her brother's wishes and do the wrong degree. Her love of racing, and her ability as a coxswain, kept her going. But never in her wildest dreams would she imagine she would be racing at the annual Boat Race, and let alone the cox for the men's team. I could see early on that she and Oz would be going head to head, and couldn't wait to see it. When they found out each other went to competing universities, and then were actually competing against each other, it was so fun to see their friendship and romance blossom. They were truly made for each other, and though Oz came from a privileged background, his family was not the most stable, and he was under a lot of pressure from parental expectations. I was so happy with how Kate and Oz's stories intertwined, and the ending was perfection! I can't wait to read the next book, and pray that these two will make a lot of appearances.

OKAY. YES. IM SCREAMING. BECAUSE THIS BOOK WAS SO STINKING CUTE I JUST NEED EVERYONE TO KNOW! I don’t know how Lulu is able to consistently write the dang cutest MMC’s for book, but like the other two books of her she’s written and I’ve read?! I’m obsessed.

“If I was an artist, I would have grabbed a pencil and drawn her because I’d never seen something so perfect.”

There’s some books that just are so freaking good that you actually remember all the details of the plot? Yea that’s this book. All the cute things Ozzy did for Kate are just on a loop in my head?! I knew I’d be obsessed by the time Kate figured out who Oz was, was obsessed by the pumpkin pie girl, and was down right swooning by the trash pick up partnership. The third act break up actually caused me to tear up (genuine emotions or post partum? Not sure, either way, I still had tears!) this book was truly just cute over and over again! I couldn’t bring myself to stop reading, and binge read it in a day in a half (which is impressive seeing as I have a 4 week old newborn currently)

“I was captivated by her in a way l'd never been with anyone before. It had never occurred to me to be. If this is what love was, sign me the f*ck up.”

Tropes:
💙 Rowing Sports Romance
🩵Rival Colleges (Oxford & Cambridge)
🚣🏼‍♂️ Insta Attraction
🩵 Forbidden Romance
💙 Secret Romance

Lastly, I think you can tell that this is a different style of writing for Lulu, as it’s a traditionally published work, versus her usual indie published books. While there was spice, it was a bit more tame. I loved this book just as much as her New York Lions indie series, but just thought it should be noted that I felt a difference in her writing. I’m so glad Penguin Random House choose to publish this book! I’m so excited to recommend it to so many of my romance loving besties 🩵

Anyone else hoping we get an Imogen & Brooks since book two is already confirmed as Charlie Violet?!

Final Rating: 4.75⭐️, 2.5🌶️

Thank you Valentine PR, Michael Joseph- PenguinRandom House, and NetGalley for granting me an eARC of this book! This is my honest and unpaid review!

🚣🏼‍♀️ Rival universities
🥧 Secret romance
🚣🏼‍♀️ Sports romance - rowing
🥧 American FMC
🚣🏼‍♀️ British MMC
🥧 He falls first
🚣🏼‍♀️ All the swoon
🥧 1st pov/ dual

💜 Arthur "Oz" Osbourne-Cloud!!! + Kate 💜

Have you read Check + Mate by Ali Hazelwood and said man I wish there was a small amount of open door scenes. Well here ya go. Absolutely nothing a like but yet absolutely the same vibes. This was so damn cute and perfect. The level of SWOON I did for Oz. Their texting/FaceTime conversations. THE PIE 🥧!!!! That's all I'm saying because I want you to read that and experience it's greatness.

I also must say I know NOTHING about rowing and I was able to follow along and fall in love 😍.

The side characters 🙌🏼👏🏼 honestly there's about 4-6 at least I would love to get their own book. I will absolutely be sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the next one!

Thank you to valentine pr, netgalley and Lulu for this ARC!

"Oar Than Friends" by Lulu Moore is a poignant story about human connection set against the tranquil setting of a seaside community. Because of Moore's deft treatment of subjects like friendship and love, the story flows with the tides and keeps readers interested from start to finish. The book takes readers to a universe where relationships are as strong as the sea itself with its beautiful scenery and deep characterizations. "Oar Than Friends" is a literary masterpiece that stays with the reader long after the last chapter, with its moving depiction of loyalty, sacrifice, and the transformational power of forgiveness.

"Oz" & Kate
ARC Review

* College Romance
* Sports Romance- Rowing
* New Adult / contemporary romance
*British MMC
*American FMC
* Low spice

She is a freshman from the US and he is a British Senior. They both row for rival prestigious colleges. However, they can't seem to stay away from each other even if they should be forbidden. Their friendship and relationship grows and they begin to find themselves. They both come from different worlds, different socioeconomic backgrounds and have many burdens to shoulder from their families.

My favorite part of this book was how they stood by each other to work out their inner struggles. She was a med student who was only doing it to fulfill the dream of her deceased brother. Seeing her come into her own self was empowering. He was destined to follow in the political footsteps although that wasn't his dream either. His Father couldn't seem to stay out of the tabloids and Oz seemed to be somewhat famous because of it. Kate, being from the States didn't know him. That was refreshing for Oz because he was used to being judged based on his family.

My biggest struggle with this book is of a personal nature and not because of the writing itself- I just seemed to struggle with the British slang and my inability to visualize where the story was taking place. Because of that I felt I had to slow down to read and sometimes re-read things in order for it to connect with me. Again, that is not a fault of the story, but of my own. Otherwise, a very sweet coming of age, low on the spice romance.

These characters had a lot on their shoulders and often times acted more mature. I appreciated their friendship first and their honesty with each other.

I received an advance copy of this book for free and am leaving a review voluntarily. Many thanks to publisher, Valentine PR, Netgalley, and Author for the opportunity to read and review early.

If you are looking to read a cute and unique story on college rivals and sports romance then Oat Than Friends it’s your perfect choice. I enjoyed reading this book by Lulu Moore and I loved the characters so so so much. The story of Kate and Ozzy(Arthur) will grab your attention and will steal your heart. I laughed, I screamed and I cried while reading this book.

Kate is studying medicine at Cambridge and she’s on a rowing scholarship; whereas, Ozzy is studying classics at Oxford and it’s the president of the rowing team. When they accidentally meet each other on a dark night, neither of them know that their teams are sworn enemies. Once they find out, things get harder between them two because winning the legendary Boat Race is important and there can only be one winner.

Kate is such a strong character and she went across the world to study medicine to fulfill her brother’s dream.
Oz is the embodiment of a perfect boyfriend and I fell in love with his character and his pure heart. He was always there for Kate and his family and was always putting their needs first. Oz was misinterpreted by so many people because of his father’s image and he tried to hard to get out of his shadow and show his true self.


Thank you Valentine PR, Lulu Moore, and NetGalley for providing this ARC.