4.5⭐️

This was just cute. It’s a fun and light read.

I’ve never read anything about this sport before so this was really unique for me.

Thank you Lulu Moore, Valentine PR, NetGalley, Michael Joseph and Penguin Random House for my ARC of Oar Than Friends. 🤍 I received an ARC for review, all opinions are my own and given freely.

This book was such a cute, feel good read for me. It was just what I needed! My first book by Lulu Moore and will not be my last. I really enjoyed the writing style. I know squat, less than squat really, about rowing but now I could see myself as a fan of the sport! I really loved all of the characters in this book, I loved the plot, I loved everything. I’m so excited for the next book in the Oxbridge series; You Float My Boat. As I was reading Oar Than Friends, I was literally praying the next book would be Charlie and Violet’s story. Honestly, the way Lulu wrote all of the side characters, I want to read each and every one of their stories. I want all of them to get their HEAs and I will eat each of them right up every time.

I’m really not usually a fan of insta-love stories but this book was so well written I really enjoyed it. Oz and Kate had me rooting for them from the very beginning. When these two met they had no idea they’re rowing competitors. Oz has his sights set on Kate and he’s bound and determined to get her to give him a chance. I truly loved Oz’s character. I loved how he really zoned into Kate’s love language. He went above and beyond to show her that he cared about her and expressed his feelings so well throughout this entire book. He is the MVP type of book boyfriend for not hiding his feelings. There wasn’t one moment in this book where I was yelling at him to pull his head out of his ass. 😅 The final race had me literally on the edge of my seat, I felt like I was there, totally a nail biter moment. I had no idea how it would end and I really love when idk how a book will end or play out. I will absolutely recommend this book to everyone I know. It was brilliant and wonderful. Pub date 03/14/2024. 🎉

I love a good quality sports romance, and this did not disappoint! I have never read a rowing romance before and I’m here for it! Oar Than Friends was incredibly unique and so much fun!

Oar Than Friends follows Kate and Oz who are two rival rowers from different Ivy League universities. The chemistry between these two was amazing! I loved watching them fall in love and overcome the obstacles that stood in their way.

This book was so well written. I got swept up in the story and was immersed in the world of rowing and the academic rivalry. The character development and growth was also fantastic. If you’re the mood for a fun and heartfelt rom-com, I highly recommend!

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:
🚣‍♀️Sports romance (rowing)
🚣‍♀️Rivals to lovers
🚣‍♀️Forbidden romance
🚣‍♀️Boy obsessed.
🚣‍♀️Secret relationship
🚣‍♀️British MMC / American FMC
🚣‍♀️English Ivy League University

Do I know anything about rowing No but did I still enjoy the book absolutely

I loved a Funny meet cute and that’s what we got with Kate and Oz. We have competition between the pair , we have funny sassy moment and we also deal with some darker deeper moment which Lulu Moore writes beautifully.

As a Brit I sometimes cringe when I read books set in England with English chatacter(s) - wrong terminology , not hitting the mark with British banter and sense of humour are some of my pet peeves but not with this one Lulu does an amazing job.

Great side characters are always a plus for me, I just feel if you can love them aswell the books just had that something extra and if they then get their own books even better.

Okay this book completely surprised me. I went into it blind and was charmed from the get-go. Pretty much devoured it.

It gave me strong Elle Kennedy Briar U feels and I am here for it. This book was the perfect set up for a series I cannot wait to read, I enjoyed everyone in this book.

But no one more than I enjoyed Oz.. He is sweet, persistent and really comfortable expressing his feelings which is so attractive.

“Asking for a friend. How many unanswered texts does it take until you’re labelled a stalker? Or worse, a total loser. Six? Seven? Ten maybe? I think I was currently sliding on the scale somewhere between ‘Saddest Man on Campus’ and ‘I’m calling the police.”

Kate is totally worth it and I was rooting for them the whole time. Now I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

Loved Lulu Moore’s new novel, “Oar than Friends!” I had zero experience with the sport of rowing prior to reading, but did I jump in head first, you bet I did! Kate, an American medical student, attends Cambridge on a rowing scholarship as the coxswain for Cambridge University rowing team. She meets Oz, the hunky student of the classics and president of Oxford University’s rowing team. Cue insta-love and the sweetest love story. Of course there’s banter between the two and the trials of being on rival uni’s rowing teams… Such a great read! Very little to no spice in this one, but the story is JUST so good! Add it to your TBR!!

Author Lulu Moore has gone all out with the detail around rowing and the way that the rivalry works between Oxford and Cambridge universities. I’ve no idea how accurate this portrayal is, but it feels really authentic. Those intangibles like the way that the rhythm of being on the water soothed them both really make this romance so atmospheric and evocative.

Characters are both really young - she is only 19 and starting out at Uni, he is 21 and third year. Kate is a long way from home, as an American who has just arrived in Cambridge to study medicine and to row (she’s a coxswain). Oz is a seriously talented rower and a classics student. They meet just after Kate arrives in the UK and her experiences are coloured by trying to juggle the pull of this gorgeous guy. There’s lots to make this forbidden - uni rivalries (he’s the president of the Oxford rowing club), sporting and study commitments, his infamous father and not least of all, they are both so over committed and so tired.

They are both battling with family expectations and this worked really well to show how they are trapped by family and as much as they wanted what they wanted, it’s complicated. Oz father seemed to be pretty toxic and his need to bring Oz into a pretty awful world was just relentless.

The best thing about this book though is Kate and Oz, they are so fun together with texting and banter for days. They are both lovely people and seem to get each other, they have a lot to overcome and navigate and both have caring friendship groups to help them work it all out. The tension rises and it all culminates in the annual rowing race. So interesting and so much fun - this is a fabulous read!

Thank you NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

This book was sweet, heartwarming, flirty, fun and just excellent all around.

One thing about me, give me a good rivalry/ enemies to lovers scenario and I will enjoy every single second. I absolutely loved their dynamic and seeing them go from instantly liking each other, to finding out they’re on rival row teams, and then saying, I like you too much to stay away from you soooo we’ll just date in secret. That’s fine. EVERYTHING IS FINE.

Then just seeing how Oz knows exactly what he wants, doesn’t want to hide Kate and his relationship but all of his complications with the media and his father are getting in the way, but he still finds a way to show Kate how much he cares, how much he likes her and just wants to be around her.

I can’t explain just how much joy this book brought me but, I hope I communicated that at least a little bit above!!

It's no secret that Lulu is one of my all time favorite people EVER. The way I was so excited to squeeze her last year when I went to RARE...which ultimately was her idea...it was so fun. We discussed this book and then I impatiently waited until I could get my grubby hands on this book.

When I tell you that I LOVED Oz, I mean that he could literally do no wrong! He was the absolute perfect MMC and watching him prove to Kate that he wanted to be with her was nothing short of amazing. Their meet cute was the CUTEST and I had the warm fuzzies from the very beginning!

I also feel like Lulu has perfected writing sports romances. She shares enough so that we are educated on the sport (b/c this was definitely my first Rowing sports romance) without completely diluting the romance part of the story. I learned so much while also falling head over heels for Oz and Kate.

If you love swoony, heart felt romances where you just know that the main characters are meant to be, you will go absolutely feral over this book! I can't wait for book 2!

I was so excited to be picked as an ARC reader! I knew going into it that it would be a fantastic book, and I was right.
The relationship that Oz and Kate have is so sweet. He's the misunderstood guy, with rumors running rampant about him and she's the American girl who is going to Cambridge on a rowing scholarship. She can't mess it up. Especially with a forbidden relationship.
He's so sweet, every time she cries- he's there. They FaceTime and text daily. She's scared to be in a relationship with the enemy, especially a public relationship. Just so good.
And his family! They're literally goals. I loved them so much, and want them for myself.

ARC Review
Pub date: March 14

Oar Than Friends- 5 stars
OH MY CUTE. I have been loving the cute romcoms lately and Oar than Friends was so freaking adorable, I knew it would be 5 stars for me 20% in.

Kate, an American student at Cambridge University on a rowing and medical scholarship, is not even at her new school for 48 hours when she stumbles upon (literally) Oz, a Brit who within minutes of meeting her, listens to and soothes her worries about being so far from home. The two instantly click and are excited to see where things can go, until Kate realizes Oz is actually Arthur Osbourne-Cloud, the "arrogant" President of the Oxford University Boat Club. The president, who she has heard nothing but horrible things about since she's stepped foot on the Cambridge campus, and is completely off-limits to interact with unless she wants to risk her rowing spot and scholarship.

I loved this book so much. My entire ebook is highlighted it feels like- there were SO many perfect and endearing moments between these two and Oz has easily made his way into my top book boyfriend list.

I have never read a book about rowing before- it was such a fun change of pace from the typical sports romances I've read. I knew absolutely nothing about rowing prior to reading, and it was so neat learning about the logistics and structure of it! The history and tradition of the sport is captivating- it made me go down a rabbit hole of rowing videos on TikTok and now it's my entire FYP lol

Read if you like:
- rivals to lovers
- sports romance/ collegiate rowing
- British MMC and American FMC
- boy obsessed
- secret/ taboo relationship

I was lucky and was chosen to recieve an ARC of this book and I was hooked from the first chapter! I just loved the characters and the forbidden relationship/ rivalry aspect of it. Can't wait to read the next book of the series!

4⭐️ 2.5🌶️

This was a really sweet and fun look at two new adults falling in love for the first time, and it not being quite as easy to be together as it should be. Figuring out long distance and busy schedules and school rivalries made it nearly impossible for them to see each other but they found the time through text and phone calls and brief meetups to learn everything they could about each other. Everything about Oz and Kate’s relationship felt natural, from their meet-cute to the development of their relationship. This was a book that made me grin continuously and made me feel so light and happy.

I absolutely adored Oz and how he could not stand Kate crying and had to go be with her if she was upset. Ozzy was the most delicious human ever. Such an accomplished guy at a young age. So flirty and sweet. Definitely deeper and more layered than most would credit him with being.
How Kate had not entirely crumbled yet under pressure is beyond me. Woman has SO much on her plate that I can FEEL her stress myself. I felt so sad for her being homesick and grieving still.

I love a unique plot or setting or something fresh I haven’t read a dozen times over, and Lulu Moore is so good at that! The rowing world is new to me and I’m kind of obsessed with it now. I can’t wait to read more of this series!

A wonderful rivals to lovers romance set in the world of college rowing. This story brings together Oz and Kate, are both rowers, he for Oxford, her for Cambridge. Rival teams.

Oz is hooked from the beginning, falling hard and fast. He really exemplifies the whole ‘if he wanted to, he would’ thing.

Kate fears losing her scholarship - she’s an American living in London - for fraternising with the enemy thus getting kicked off the rowing team. All this means is Oz has to work really hard to get her to give him a chance at their connection.

Oz is swoony, supportive and there for her even when shes crying. A great book boyfriend.

This story has good banter, swoon worthy moment, steam and spice, and a great cast of characters to round out the story. It also delves into grief, loss and living your life for you and not others. A truly enjoyable read.

Arthur (known as Oz) is studying at Oxford and is on their rowing team.
Kate has come over the states after landing a scholarship to study medicine and row at Cambridge. The two teams have a deep rivalry which spans years.
Oz and Kate first meet when they literally bump into each-other and they open up fast to each other about what they’re doing at university and their dreams. It’s love at first sight for Oz.
But he has a reputation and when Kate realises who he really is and that he’s on the enemy team, she pushes him away. Arthur won’t let that be end of things though and keeps pushing to get back to knowing Kate.
They have to keep their relationship secret but will the rivalry be the end of them?

Despite not knowing anything about rowing I was immersed in the story. Oz was a cute character and I loved that he cared so much about Kate. I also liked how involved and supportive the friends and family were of their relationship despite the rivalry!
Rating 4/5

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a copy in return for an honest review.

I thought this was really cute! It was fun to read a book with rowing as the focus as I don't know a lot about the sport and it's not been widely covered. This had a great cast of likable characters, especially Oz, who was a dreamboat. Just the sweetest guy. I appreciated that Kate was focused on her goals and ambitions. Even though she was interested in Oz, she didn't want it to impact her ability to perform academically or athletically. I thought as a couple they complimented each other well and the development of their relationship seemed realistic and not too quick as is often the case in romances.

Loved this book so much! Everything about it drew me in and I couldn’t put it down. I’m obsessed with Oz and Kate’s relationship. They balance each other out so perfectly. The banter, tension and love between them was everything I wanted and more. I loved the growth between them and how they worked through their family traumas together.

The friends and family in the story just made it even better and I can’t wait to read the next stories in this series!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Valentine PR for allowing me to read this ARC

Kate has just arrived in England on a rowing scholarship to pursue medicine but one of those things isn’t really her dream. A tragedy has led Kate to follow this path. Oz is under the weight of family expectation and history to follow a career path he has no desire to be part of, and the betrayal and heartache he is shouldering for his family is pressing in on him due to the hounding media. Could one night and a chance meeting change Kate and Oz’s paths? What happens when they find out they compete for rival rowing teams and schools?

Who knew rowing could be super hot and was the type of sportsmance I needed in my life?!? It’s so fun to see different sports being explored in romance. I also forget how much I love when both MCs are athletes; their respective dedication adds a complex layer to books that up the ante and I just can’t get enough. I think I want to watch The Boat Race this year!

Let me say Oz makes me weak, he is so swoony! Boy obsessed and he falls first are my absolute kryptonite! And Lulu has delivered! He was obsessed, so persistent in his pursuit of Kate, and amazingly supportive of her. He is so sweet and made me so giddy. This book was pretty low angst, and I just felt so light and happy reading it. It had a slight different vibe/tone than other books from Lulu I’ve read but it just fit this couple and story perfectly. I’m not sure what she puts in her books but I just can’t get enough! I’m so happy excited for the next book in this series!

Fun quote while Kate and Oz are getting to know each other long distance: “Fingers flying over our phone screens quicker than Swifties registering for tour tickets.”

🚣🏻‍♂️Rowing Sportsmance
🚣🏻‍♀️Rival Universities
🚣🏻‍♂️He Falls First
🚣🏻‍♀️Boy Obsesses
🚣🏻‍♂️Long Distance
🚣🏻‍♀️Banter, Texting, and FaceTime
🚣🏻‍♂️He Comes When She Cries
🚣🏻‍♀️Low Angst

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

Kate and Oz are trying to navigate intense college workloads, training, and their new relationship, all while keeping it secret due to the rivalry of their colleges.

I was hooked from the beginning, and their hilarious meet cute. This was full of flirting, banter, and great friends. But there is also deep emotional moments about loss and grief and figuring out what they really want for their future. I wasn’t a fan of the 3rd act break up tho.

Did I know anything about rowing before going into it? No! But I very much enjoyed the story and I’m looking forward to read Charlie and Violet’s book.

I feel incredibly lucky that I got a chance to read this arc and can't wait to have a paper copy in my hands cause you better believe I'm buying this one and coming back to the Oxford/Cambridge rowing team often. I fell in love with Oz and Kate. Add in the competitive aspect of the rowing and it was just perfect.