ARC TEAM Lulu Moore AND @VALENTINEPR

I am completely in love with this story.

4,7 ⭐️

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this book before it was published, I absolutely loved this book and never thought I would like this sport, I didn't even know it existed.

This story follows the lives of Kate and Oz, who are both part of the boat racing club, Kate belongs to the Cambridge University team and Oz to the Oxford University team, so they are "rivals" even though they don't compete in the same category.

When they first meet they spark and it's as if they were meant to be together and they complement each other and understand themselves in a way that no one has ever done before, I think it's beautiful how they can't stop thinking about each other.

Kate is a strong protagonist, determined and with clear goals, she puts all her love in what she does, in the people around her and she is also super funny, she is a medical student, she studies thousands and thousands of kilometres away from her home and she struggles to achieve a dream that is not even hers. She loves racing and it is clear that she is the best cox on her team.

Oz is wonderful, a lot of people only know the public side of his life and unfortunately they talk about him and don't really get to know him. I love that he's like some kind of famous briths boy old money type but at the same time he's super tender and loves his family, his friends and he's completely crazy and obsessed with Kate.

They have immediate spark and it fascinates me that he is so in love with her that he can't stop thinking about her at any moment.

Their relationship is a little bit sketchy but you can see the love they have for each other and you can see how they fall in love gradually.

I loved the theme of the boat races and the rivalry they have, I had no idea of the existence of this sport and now all I want to do is look for videos, movies, clips, whatever and learn more about it.

Anyway, I think this book is going to be my favourite for March.

Thank you to net galley and Lulu for this ARC, releasing March 14th!!!

I have read a lot of sports romance, but this was definitely my first rowing (yes ROWING 🚣‍♀️) romance and omg did it DELIVER!! Like truly so much fun🤩

We get insta-love (in a non cringey way, if I say so myself), college rivals to lovers, a British MMC (c’mon), and struggling MCs with family pressure finding themselves💟

AND this MMC??? I love you, Ozzy🫶🏼🥰

Lulu Moore managed to write the perfect amount of sweet and spice. This was one of those sweet, makes you smile, and brings you a lot of joy romances🤗

Now someone take me rowing doing The Thames River pls and thanks🚣‍♀️🚣

OH and let me tell you - we already got the first chapter for the next one in this standalone series and I cannot WAIT for it (about 50% in the book I was hoping so hard Lulu was going to grace us with this story…)

I am new to Lulu Moore but was happy to get the Arc for this!
This is my second book set in London and I like it here!
We first meet Kate, an American studying medicine at Cambridge. She is also the coxswain for the girls' rowing team. After a night out she stumbles into the devastatingly handsome Oz (AOC) who just so happens to be the President of the Oxford Men's Team (their bitter rival). Oz has quite the reputation, as the son of a wealthy politician, and the star on his rowing team.
After some back and forth, Oz convinces Kate to get to know him and these two start to fall hard for each other. Even though they are worlds apart they both support and care for each other. The only problem is they are on rival teams and have to keep things secret. If word gets out, Kate could risk her scholarship and place on the team.
This book is a new favorite! I know nothing about rowing but you get a sense of what the sport is like and how dedicated they are. Oz was such a golden retriever for Kate and wanted to make her happy any way he could. I loved how he was all in from the start! Things get tricky for them towards the end but these two never gave up! Definitely cannot wait for book 2 in this series. I loved the little snippet we get at the end of the book.
* Set in London
* Rivals
* He falls hard
* Sports Romance
4.5 stars

“I’ll see you at the finish line.”

Where to start… I absolutely loved this book! From the start Oz and Kate had such great chemistry. Their meet-cute was hilarious and kept you wanting to read even more about them. I knew nothing about rowing going into this, but that didn’t hinder my reading experience at all. In fact, it made me want to learn even more about the sport.

This book was everything I ever could have wanted in a romance book. There was funny banter, great friendships, rivalry, adorable moments, and of course some spice. Each character was so well developed and relatable. I loved that Lulu Moore didn’t just focus on the romantic relationship, but the platonic ones as well. It helped the book be so well rounded. I can’t wait to read more from the series!

The story of Kate, an American in England on a rowing scholarship, and Oz, the son of a politician who was involved in scandal who is portrayed poorly.

These two are on the rowing team for competitive colleges Oxford and Cambridge. I loved the rivalry between the schools and that they didn't let it ruin their relationship at first.

This story was so wholesome and I loved reading about each characters past and how they both deal with it. I thought Oz was going to be a typical playboy but the way he fell for Kate was sweet and genuine that I fell in love with him too.

There is a third act breakup because of course people get scared but I enjoyed reading them come back together and how they both were able to change for the better because of each other.

I can't wait for book 2 to come out.

"You're a cox?"
"How did you know?"
"You look like one,"

I loveee watching the annual Oxford vs Cambridge Boat Race and have been watching it for years now. So when I saw this book was based around it, I was excited to pick it up. It's not often you see sports romances about rowing, never-mind the boat race itself, so I liked the originality! Plus, you could see that Lulu knew what she was talking about from the descriptions and rowing talk throughout... It wasn't a case of just mentioning that the two were involved in rowing and then never really seeing anything else about them participating like I find some sports romances do.

As a Dark Blue supporter myself, I was rooting for Arthur throughout! 🙌 And will be rooting for Oxford at the end of the month when this years race is scheduled for 💙 Unfortunately, I didn't love Kate's character as much as Arthur though as I thought she was a bit unfair to him at times.

I really liked the relationships between the teams though and looking forward to getting more from the other character. 3.7*

*ARC received for an honest review.

arc review —

rating: 4 ⭐️

once i started this book i couldn’t put it down! i absolutely loved the story, the concept, the setting, the love and friendship 💖

granted these are british schools and there were a few terms not used correctly when discussing the british schooling system but nonetheless, it didn’t bother me that much and just moved past it.

i really loved that this was a sports romance that was entirely new for me. i know nothing about rowing but it was just so fun to read about. the author really knew how to get you invested in the race and build up to it. so much tension and energy around it i loved it.

i loved oz and kate’s banter, humour and inevitably their love because it was so wonderful to read. each character had a thoughtful backstory and i loved reading it all. my favourite moments were when kate spent christmas with oz and his family. it was so sweet!

i loveeee seeing how obsessed oz was with kate from the start! he was sweet and charming and won her over instantly, no matter how much she was fighting the attraction. there were so many sweet and tender moments that i just can’t move on from and i don’t want to.

i can’t wait to read more of this series and i hope everyone in oz’s friendship group gets a book!

read this if you love:
🚣🏻 sports romance
🚣🏻 strangers to rivals to lovers
🚣🏻 secret relationship
🚣🏻 he falls first

thank you valentine pr and lulu moore for the arc 🫶🏻

Listen. Do I know a single thing about rowing? Absolutely not. But this book was so fun and I enjoyed every second! Enemies to lovers is my favorite trope so I knew I’d love it. Arthur and Kate had such good chemistry and their banter was 10/10. Kate is a driven, focused FMC and she is very easy to relate to. And Arthur is an Englishman with a hot accent. Nuff said 🔥

this is my first read from Lulu Moore and i was not disappointed!!!!!!!

the book follows Kate Astley and Arthur Osborne-Cloud, she is a small town in Connecticut, on a rowing scholarship, studying medicine at Cambridge. Oz is the Oxford University Boat Club President and he's studying classics. Their rowing team are rivals but their hearts say something totally different.

what I liked most about this book is that neither Oz nor Kate are afraid to acknowledge their feelings. They both have such a beautiful soul, from the moment they met they connected in the deepest way ever. They told each other their biggest secrets and THEY JUST MET each other. Their relationship was so healthy and cute, they could talk about anything. And the author shows us in a very tender way, how Kate and Oz fell in love, which is reflected in the sacrifices each one made to be able to be with the other.

Oar Than Friends was my first ever rowing romance and English-college-based romance in general LOL. I know nothing about rowing but the story between Oz and Kate was perfectly informative, an amazing & fast read, and adorable all-around!

As for meet cutes, I think Oz and Kate’s was so hilarious and the perfect start to their story. Right from the jump, Oz is a sweet-talker and knows he’s talented but deep down, there’s a big softie in him. Kate is a determined American at Cambridge after some tragedy strikes her family. The adorably innocent scenes that show the depth of their feelings had my cheeks blushing and my heart feeling so full. I absolutely admire the training and schedule that rowing requires and I think it was written about perfectly in this book! The larger-than-life friend groups seriously had me obsessed and the humor throughout this book made me laugh out loud multiple times🤣

The ups and downs of the plot were really fun to read and I think showed real struggles for college students, athletes, and those who have lost someone. I loved that we got to go through the whole rowing season and were able to see the final Boat Race. I was seriously at the edge of my seat waiting to see who won! I think the way that the story ended was so funny and sweet, just like how it started hehe, and gave Oz and Kate the happy ending that they deserve!

Thank you so much to ValentinePR and Lulu for gifting me an ARC of this book💙 So excited for the next in the Oxbridge series!!

oar than friends 🛶🍻🦞🩺📚📰🌧️🥧

“no, yankee doodle, you’re not. you could never be my enemy.”

“i wanted to claim her heart and her mind, like she had claimed mine.”

“a light blue and a dark blue, step by step.”

4.5 ☆ book one in oxbridge series by lulu moore

this book follows kate astley and arthur (oz) osborne-cloud. kate is from a small town in connecticut, on a rowing scholarship, studying medicine to fulfill a dream. oz is the oxford university boat club president studying classics. she’s rowing for cambridge. he’s rowing for oxford. a boat race to go down in history.

this is my first read from lulu moore and i was not disappointed! this book had me giggling and kicking my feet the whole time! i instantly fell in love with kate and oz! their love story is one of the cutest from their meet cute to the very end!

thank you to @lulumoorebooks and @valentine_pr_ for this arc! i really enjoyed it 🤍

tropes ➞ college romance / sports romance / he falls first / rivals to lovers / forbidden love / secret relationship

I have fell in love with sports romance. So when I saw that this one was different than anything else I've seen I was super excited. This is a college romance that takes place away from the states. Kate and Oz are part of rowing teams for two different universities who are rivals. Their meet cute, if we want to call it that lol, had me in stitches laughing.

Kate has lost her brother and is trying to fulfill what she thinks her parents would want while also pursuing what her brother is missing out on. Oz is trying to find his own path away from the tabloids and media surrounding his father who is a politician. Both have weird relationships with their dads. And they're both really just trying to find their way.

I loved seeing how they rival together even though they had reservations because of the conflicting schools. Their friend groups were amazing. And overall I just loved the feel of the atmosphere there. One of my favorite things was getting to me Oz and seeing how he really just scooped Kate up and showed her such a good time especially on her Christmas break when she was not near family.

This really was such a refreshing and great read. I love getting to see an inside view of what rowing entails. I'm so excited to see that it's a series and I can't wait to dive deeper into some of these side characters who have some of the best personalities.

Oh the chokehold this book had on me…. Do I know anything about rowing….no…. Did that affect the readability of the book ? No.

I love Lulu Moores writing style and her books in general, she has the ability to engulf readers into the world of the story she is writing.

The relationship between Kate and Arthur is everything, they have spectacular banter but go through very real relationship issues. Very minor spice throughout the story I would give it a 2.5/5 🌶️ level personally. I have fallen in love it’s not only Kate and Arthur but also all of their friends.

I am so thankful I got to receive an ARC of this book and cannot wait for the next book in the Oxbridge series. My new comfort read for sure (but all of Lulu Moore’s books are comfort reads to me)

This review is voluntary and all thoughts and feelings are my own

Oar than Friends by Lulu Moore

Loved this book! ❤️

She American and goes to Cambridge and he is Brit and goes to Oxford, both are on their college rowing team and they happen to run into each other.

Loved the instant connection between the Oz and Kate. Their secret relationship was so swoony. The troubles they both were working thru made for strong main characters. And the troubles they encountered along the way in their secret relationship only made the story that much more addicting. The 2nd half of the book I just wanted to keep reading and never stop.

I also loved getting a little glimpse into British life and learning a little about rowing throughout the story.

Great quick read and really hoping for another book about 2 of their friends 😉


#OarThanFriends #NetGalley
#ContemporaryRomance #RomanticComedy #SportsRomance #Athlete #Billionaire #BoyObsessed #BritishHero #EnemiestoLovers #ForbiddenLove #IvyLeagueUniversity #LoveatFirstSight #SecretRomance #SportsRomance

Thank you to everyone for this arc. I’ve been reading many heavy sad books so this is a perfect light hearted fun read. We have chemistry and banter forbidden love. It’s a recipe for a GOOD book. I loved the rival schools and it just gave a whole new perspective to sports romances.

I loved both mcs which is rare recently, I find usually in some books like this the mmc is one dimensional but I loved his character, both characters were charming and captivating. I loved Oz, oz can do no wrong in my eyes. I also loved the aspect of tje friend group, i loved the dynamic and am hoping we see them have a book, I truly am really invested in this universe. I’ve really been wanting another sports college romance after off campus, and although it isn’t hockey I think this has satisfied that itch!

Highly recommend! Thank you Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and net galley

Thanks Netgalley and Lulu, I loved Oar than Friends! The chemistry and banter between Oz and Kate was perfection, also the banter fullstop within the friend groups. Seriously, I can’t nitpick anything wrong with this book. Loved it and high,y recommend, A cute sports romance. Hoping there will be more books picking up the story with Oz and Kate’s friends.

4.5 rounded up.

Who knew I’d be reading and loving a rowing romance?! Not me. Rowing is not something that has ever been on my radar but this book was so good! Lulu Moore does a fantastic job of writing sports romance. I knew nothing about rowing, but I think it had the perfect amount of information to explain it and keep me interested.

During the boat race I was literally on the edge of my seat!

Now, let’s talk about Kate and Oz. They had the best meet cute that was giving me those warm fuzzy feelings. Oz was determined to prove to Kate he liked her and to give him a chance. I love a man who doesn’t give up.

They both had personal struggles they had to navigate and some struggles together. They were rowing for rival boat clubs after all. Can’t be seen canoodling with the enemy, ya know?

Oz was so sweet. The pumpkin pie 🫠

I absolutely loved the setting of this book. I could really picture it. The vibes were so British, and it was a fun change of pace for me.

If you haven’t read any of Lulu’s books, you definitely should! She writes about the swooniest men and strong women.

Lulu Moore knocks it out of the park AGAIN with Oar Than Friends! Oz and Kate were SO BEAUTIFUL! I was full on crying on a plane at the end of this book. And their chemistry was off the charts. I thought this was going to go into a very YA direction, and then Lulu suddenly took a sharp left into steam-ville. The audiobook narrator was also FIRE, I could listen to Sebastian Humphreys ALL DAY LONG!

This is the first book by Lulu Moore that I've read, and I'll definitely read more.

Kate and Oz are two captivating characters, and right from the first chapters, the story hooked me.

I had so much fun following these two, even though their relationship was forbidden, it was impossible to deny the chemistry and connection between them.

Thank you so much, the publisher and NetGalley, for sending me this ARC .

"Oar Than Friends" by Lulu Moore, readers are dived in the cut throat world of rowing as Arthur Osbourne-Cloud from Oxford and Kate Astley from Cambridge encounter an extremity on and off the water. Arthur is a young man who is committed to pursuing politics and is in love with rowing , while Kate whose whole life ambition is to study medicine is bent on achieving the following in the Boat Race . With merging of these two rivals the next stage will come of handling of rivalry, expectations and the complexity of their mutual attraction.

Moore effortlessly writes a captivated story, where characters become the highlight of the tale. Exhibiting a layer of determination, pride and conflict, Arthur Osbourne-Cloud struggles between his passion for rowing and his family's advice. Kate is very well portrayed to being a proud woman who is forced to choosing between following her own goals or accepted ways of life. Their chemistry is different - there is a clear sexual tension, which only his dreadful swim fails to dampen.

Both the conflict and the intrigue build up, with the reader immersing in the stadium of college rowing through compelling descriptions and the adrenaline-pumping race sequences. Moore has a good command of the ambition, identity and the search for life topics, and making the story interesting and understandable, as well as engaging. Supplementary characters make the story richer and more colorful, as the plot as well as our emotions become multi-faceted.

The writing style in which Moore uses is thrilling, having a perfect mix of emotions and activities that pulls the reader until the end from the start. Her lifelike descriptions build the setting report and enable the readers to see the thunderous races and get a glimpse into the victories and failures of the characters.