This was a nice easy read. Cute uni romance between Kate and Oz based in rival unis/teams. The chemistry between the two was nice and I liked the pacing of the story. Definitely will check out the rest of the series once it releases.

This was such a cute story!

Oz and Kate are from rival schools but Kate doesn’t realize that when they first meet. Kate has heard from her friend’s about the president of the rival school’s rowing team and son of a politician but he doesn’t realize it’s the same guy she has a date planned with who she had an instant connection with. All the news articles about Oz call him a partier and playboy but there’s no truth to the media and Kate needs to trust the impression she had when she first met him.

You’d think the biggest struggle to the relationship would be the long distance but Oz and Kate actually make it work well. Though their schools are over an hour away Oz still makes the drive to see Kate between both of their hectic schedules and they frequently talk and FaceTime.

Both Kate and Oz struggle with living their lives for others. Through their relationship with each other they learn to take life into their own hands and go after the futures and dreams they want for themselves.

I love that this is a rowing romance! As a former rower myself, I love that I finally found a romance book about it.

-rivals to lovers
-rowing romance
-oxford/cambridge
-secret relationship
-he falls first

Kate is an American coxing for Cambridge and Oz is the captain of the Oxford rowing team. Their chemistry was undeniable when they first met and they didn't yet know they were from rival teams. When Oz finally wore Kate down, they decided to keep it a secret since Kate was worried about fraternizing with the enemy. The tension between these two was so good and I loved how obsessed he is with Kate! Definitely recommend!

This was cute and fun, and adored Oz and Kate! I don't know much about competitive rowing, but this was a great read and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGallery and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lulu Moore does it again! I am big fan of Lulu and this book did not disappoint. This was different from her other books because it is set in the UK! I learned so much about rowing and I cant wait for the next book!

I received an arc for this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was amazing and I’m so glad I got the opportunity to read it. I love a good sports romance book and this didn’t disappoint.

I have no idea about rowing and I was nervous that, it would make me not find this book interesting but it had enough information to teach you about the sport without being annoying.

I loved all the characters In this book. Both the main and side characters they all added something to this story.

This book has everything that is needed to make a great sports romance book and it was written really well. I couldn’t put it down. Sports Romance is something I really like and I like trying and learning about new sports and this book gave me that opportunity.

The romance was well done and it didn’t annoy me which is saying something because usually that’s what makes it breaks a book for me. But it wasn’t to spicy and even thought it has Insta love it was written well enough it didn’t put me off the book.

I wish there was more information about what happens next because it felt like it ended really suddenly and that’s the only thing I didn’t like about this book.


I recommend this book to anyone who likes a well written sports romance book with a good level (my opinion) of spice 🙃🫶

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!