OneStar Romance, Laura Hankin
OneStar Romance, Laura Hankin
List: $22.50 | Sale: $15.75
Club: $11.25

One-Star Romance

Author: Laura Hankin

Narrator: Laura Hankin

Unabridged: 10 hr 57 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 06/18/2024


Synopsis

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 in this fresh romantic comedy from Laura Hankin.

Natalie and Rob couldn’t have less in common. Nat’s a messy artist, and Rob’s a rigid academic. The only thing they share is their devotion to their respective best friends—who just got engaged. Still, unexpected chemistry has Natalie cautiously optimistic about being maid of honor to Rob’s best man.

Until, minutes before the ceremony, Nat learns that Rob wrote a one-star review of her new novel, which has them both reeling: Nat from imposter syndrome, and Rob over the reason he needed to write it.

When the reception ends, these two opposites hope they’ll never meet again. But, as they slip from their twenties into their thirties, they’re forced together whenever their fast-track best friends celebrate another milestone. Through housewarmings and christenings, life-changing triumphs and failures, Natalie and Rob grapple with their own choices—and how your harshest critic can become your perfectly imperfect match.

After all, even the truest love stories sometimes need a bit of rewriting.

About The Author

Laura Hankin is the author of Happy & You Know It, A Special Place for Women, and The Daydreams. Her musical comedy has been featured in publications like the New York Times and the Washington Post, and she is developing projects for film and TV. She lives in Washington, DC, where she once fell off a treadmill twice in one day.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jayme on June 18, 2024

Looks can be deceiving… Based on the ADORABLE book cover and title, I expected a light, funny ROM COM, but this is more of a “life story” with MANY touching, heartfelt moments, and more depth than I expected! Told in 7️⃣ parts, Part 1️⃣ opens in 2013 with an invitation to a birthday party, and each s......more

Goodreads review by Heather Adores Books on June 30, 2024

3⭐ Genre ~ friendship fiction Setting ~ New York & New Jersey Publication date ~ June 18, 2024 Est Page Count ~ 400 (39 chapters +e) Audio length ~ 11 hours Narrator ~ the author POV ~ multiple 3rd Featuring ~ 7 part story, slow burn, enemies to lovers, no steamage Medical trigger warnings I'll hide ~ (view spoiler)[ uter (hide spoiler)]......more

Goodreads review by Nilufer on August 11, 2024

It's evident, my fellow book enthusiasts! I relished "Happy You Know It," and I absolutely adored "Daydreamers"! So, who could possibly prevent me from eagerly diving into another Hankin novel? This time, she's decided to whip up a delightful rom-com tailored precisely to my cravings—featuring the i......more

Goodreads review by Danielle on February 25, 2025

Well, it’s not one star 😆 but if I’m being honest -and I always am- I didn’t enjoy this book. 😬 The characters felt flat and disconnected. This felt less like a romance and more of a push message about the hurt a one star review can give an author. 🙄......more

Goodreads review by Snjez on August 06, 2024

4.5 stars I will start by saying that I don't understand why the blurb states that this is a romantic comedy. It's definitely not. Even calling it a romance is a stretch. Personally, I was pleasantly surprised by what I got vs. what I expected. But I do feel that calling this story a rom-com does it......more


Quotes

Praise for One-Star Romance

“Laura Hankin has written a deftly tender love story about growing up, getting better, and finally learning to see each other clearly. A joyful read.”
Elle

“Hankin performs a magic trick with this book, turning the most unlikeable (and relatable) of characters into flawed protagonists worth rooting for. Natalie and Rob are the definition of “right person, wrong time,” and because the story spans multiple years, we get the pleasure of seeing them make mistakes, grow up and grow together. It’s real, refreshing and romantic.”
The Washington Post

"A terrific novel! It had a great slow burn, thoughtful maturity about what it means to grow up, and was laugh-out-loud funny. I thoroughly enjoyed it."
Jodi Picoult

“One-Star Romance
will go down in history as the most ironically named novel ever. I give five giant stars to this funny, twisty and emotionally authentic story of true love and long friendship. I absolutely adored it.”
Annabel Monaghan, bestselling author of Same Time Next Summer

“Laura Hankin takes a nightmare premise for any writer—the dreaded one-star review—and with her signature charm and humor weaves it into a perfect dream.”
Steven Rowley, New York Times bestselling author of The Celebrants

“I love romantic comedies, of course. But I love books that delve deeper, too, and One-Star Romance is just that. Fully realized, delightfully imperfect characters navigate heartfelt and relatable issues in this winner of a novel.”
—Kristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of Pack Up the Moon

“ALL OF THE STARS! Is it mean to take so much pleasure in two characters bumbling their way through life? If so, call me a monster because I fell HARD for Natalie and Rob. These two imperfect humans trying (and often failing) to figure out this whole adulting thing felt so real and relatable. Flat-out fun, laugh out loud funny, and voicey as hell, this is the book I will be shoving into friends’ hands this summer and demanding they fall in love with these characters, too!”
Becca Freeman, author of The Christmas Orphans Club

"Hands down, the best romance I've read this year, if not ever. Laura Hankin is brilliant and funny and I laughed out loud so many times. Buy it! Read it! Thank me later."
Colleen Oakley, author of USA Today bestselling author of The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise

"...[M]y favorite rom-com of the year... You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. Ultimately, you’re going to get a great romance, but even if you come for the romance, you’ll stay for the heartwarming friendship."
Book Riot

"Fans of not only romance but women’s fiction as well will enjoy this multilayered, realistic novel from Hankin."
Library Journal

“'[A] breath of fresh air, rich in character growth, chemistry, and comedy.' Take it to your nearest beach now!"
Rich Text

"If you need a good laugh and crave a storyline reminiscent of early aughts rom-coms, pick up Laura Hankin’s latest ASAP."
Beyond My Byline

"Hankin's rom-com has all the workings of an entertaining story, and it's bound to leave readers rooting for its main couple by the end. It's an unconventional setup for an enemies-to-romance story, but that's precisely why it's so great."
Screen Rant

“Hankin takes a lighthearted hook and two mismatched protagonists and spins them into a lovely, memorable tale.“
Washington Independent Review of Books

Praise for Laura Hankin

“Smart and witty.”
Woman’s Day

“Wickedly smart.”
PopSugar

“Outrageously entertaining.”
The Nerd Daily

“Absorbing.”
OK! Magazine