I loved this book!

- fake dating
- best friends little sister
- sports romance - rowing
- university/college setting
- long term mutual crushes

This was so cute! I love that they have mutual crushes on each other and how awkward and nervous they were at first and how their relationship grew and changed into real feelings (although it never really felt fake)

I enjoyed all the dates they went on and how he asked her to be his valentine

The 3rd act break up wasn't annoying really and it led to a cute reunion

Overall this was such a cute read and everyone should pick it up

This takes place at the same time as the first book in the series - they don't have to be read in any order really

4 stars

This was such a fun and sweet and cozy read!!
I adored Charlie. He was the best. I want one for myself. He's the epitome of the green flag type of MC! I adored how sweet he was. How caring he was and how much he actually cared for Vi!
Now, Violet was so much fun to read. I love the way she saw life and how she maintained her individuality even after Charlie and her started dating.
I liked the friend group as per usual with Lulu's books. The side characters were fun to read, although i do have to admit some side characters' plotlines felt a bit underdeveloped(?) Still, it was fun.
The romance and spice were fantastic, and I love the slow awareness of "omg I'm in love" with our main characters.
Overall, this was such a fun read, and I am now excited and very curious about the next book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Do I know anything about rowing as a sport? Absolutely not. But do I love men written by LuLu?! YES! Another 5 star read from the Queen. THANK YOU LULU🫶🏼

Charlie needs a (fake) girlfriend to keep his ex girlfriend away from him, so he enlists his best friends little sister to help him. Violet has had a crush on Charlie since she was 14, but she’s worked so hard to forget about him, but when she agrees to this farce, she has to remind herself “this isn’t real”.

“But before my heart had time to beat again, my face was held between his huge hands, and my lips had been surrounded. This was the first kiss I’d dreamed about as a teenager. Strong and forceful, yet so gentle and delicate it was causing my eyes to water. Insistent, needy almost.”
🌶️🌶️🌶️

I adore this series! I was pleasantly surprised at how swooney Charlie was, baking cupcakes, practicing lines, writing a freaking sonnet for Violet (I still don’t even know what a sonnet is!). I devoured this book in one day, it’s that deliciously gooey romance that I love so much. Charlie realizing he *like* likes Violet and the fuck it moment of no longer wanting to fake anything is always a favorite.
Obviously I despised our villain Evie and our third act break. While there was still rowing in this book, it wasn’t as present like it was in Oar Than Friends which makes sense since both Oz and Kate were rowers in that book, but Violet is an English Major and the theater was more heavily focused than the rowing.

“He rolled his hips slowly against mine, too slowly almost.  Frustratingly slowly, barely ghosting over the spot where I really needed the pressure, ‘the thing about rowers . . .’ one more roll, ‘they have stamina . . .’ roll, ‘they have endurance . . .’”

You Float My Boat by Lulu Moore is the sequel to Oar Than Friends and features Charlie, and his best friend's sister, Violet.

Charlie and Violet form a fake relationship to try and make another person jealous. Fake relationship? Love it. Brother's Best Friend? Yes, please? He falls for her first? Heck yeah! Ms. Moore is an expert in the guys chasing the girls - see her NY Lions series and all of her main male characters, for example.

They begin dating in secret and each are longing for the other and it's incredible sweet, swoony, and spicy.

There's the inevitable misunderstanding and them working to resolve it, but this is a great book. I can't wait for more from Lulu Moore.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Lulu Moore for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I just love this series so much! I didn’t think a sequel could get any bettter but this one was awesome! I love the continuing series about the rowing and college life. I love how we get to visit some of our favorite characters from the first book and meet new ones. Lulu Moore wrote such good books with heat, chemistry, and fun. I live here British charm. So so sooo good.

‘It was the type of thing Taylor would write a song about.’

Yep, it absolutely was 💜

I’ve been desperate for this book ever since we got a little sneak at the first chapter at the end of Oar than Friends. I knew I was going to adore Violet, but didn’t realise Charlie would end up being so swoony!

Fake dating is not one of my favourite tropes usually, but I absolutely loved how Charlie and Violet’s relationship began and then became real. She’s always had a crush on her older brother’s friend, but he was in a toxic relationship with his ex and never saw her as more than his friend’s little sister. Until now.
It didn’t take Charlie long to fall, and once he did he was all in.

Yet another huge 5 star read from Lulu Moore. I couldn’t stop smiling the whole way through (well, other than a couple of times when she who shall not be named was on the page!)

Huge thanks to Lulu, NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this ARC, it was magnificent.

so i’m actually shock because this book was really good, it was such a cute and cozy read !! (if you need some love read this book)

The characters were all fun except one of course 🙄
but most of them were really enjoyable and i didn’t thought i would like them that much especially charlie who got my whole heart.

but then the 3rd act breakup hit again and it actually annoyed me so much because the argument could have been avoided really easily maybe i’m insensitive i don’t know? but i felt like it was there only to be there.
Like i totally understand the way violet was feeling about it but it literally got taken out of context and violet was so dramatic for nothing. ( but charlie handled it really stupidly too sooooo i don’t blame her)

But anyway i still enjoy it so much and i totally recommend it !!

thanks to netgalley && peguin random house for the arc !!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the advanced reader copy!

Unfortunately, the second installment was missing the magic I adored in the first - mainly, rowing! As a former collegiate coxswain, I got so excited when I discovered this series because I don't often stumble upon the sport in fiction. While the sport returns for another appearance, there's less of a focus on the boat race because Violet isn't an athlete. It's an understandable decision for the author to make, but I was personally a bit let down and missing Oz and Kate's story.

I also had my qualms about Violet and Charlie's relationship, in which we are told moreso than shown how (especially) Charlie's feelings develop. The entire thing feels a tad immature and insta-love/lust. There was a fair amount of useless dialogue that doesn't advance the plot and left me wanting to skim. I can't forget about the stupid third act breakup, which was thrown in just for the sake of having one. If you like a lot of drama in the relationship, you might enjoy this one, but it wasn't for me. I'm so disappointed this was a huge miss!

My obsession with @lulumoorebooks is no secret, so when I saw I was approved for this ARC I full on squealed! 🤭

Oar Than Friends is one of my top reads of 2024 (I’ve already read it 4 times) and each time I’ve fallen more in love with Charlie! I’ve been so excited for his book, and let me tell you it hits just as hard as OTF! 😍

This book has some of my all time favourite tropes; fake dating & brother’s best friend, and of course my favourite moment of “it doesn’t feel fake anymore” 🫠 Charlie was such a sweetheart and he fell hard and fast for Violet. I loved how there wasn’t any messing around, right from that first kiss, Charlie was gone for her. Also, baker Charlie might just be my favourite Charlie! 😍

I knew I was going to love Charlie, but I didn’t expect to love Violet as much as I did! She was the perfect level of sassy to match Charlie’s cheekiness! I loved her friendship with Stella and her relationship with her brother.

Charlie and Violet’s relationship progressed pretty quickly from brother’s best friend to fake dating to secretly dating, but you could still feel the pining and anticipation because of how long Violet had a crush on him. They were adorably nervous around each other and it developed into such a tender relationship 🥹

Also, I LOVED the extra Oz content we got!! 😍 Seeing Oz behind the scenes of OTF and seeing him and Charlie bond over their mutual heartbreak, I was a swooning mess 🫠

OTF was my first Lulu book and it has started an obsession which shows no signs of ending! I’m so excited for more of the Oxbridge boys (hopefully Brooks and Olly will get their own books!) 😍

Thank you NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read Charlie and Violet’s book early!

Tropes:
- Sports Romance (Rowing)
- Fake Dating
- Brother’s Best Friend
- Secret Relationship
- It Was Always You
- She Falls First, He Falls Harder

The follow up to Oar Than Friends finds us revisiting old friends from the first book.

Running in the same time line as the first book, we see Charlie (best friend of Oz and Huey Brooks) needing a fake girlfriend. Who better than Huey’s little sister, Violet? An aspiring actress, Violet is more than qualified to act as Charlie’s new girlfriend.

This fake dating and best friend’s sister story is charming and lets us venture back to the rowing guys and their friendship. Charlie is not what everyone expects him to be and Violet finds that the boy she’s been in love with for years might just love her back. A little fake dating, sweet friendship and falling in love story that will just make you happy.

I adore this series and I’m so excited to see where Lulu Moore takes us next.

Charlie Masterson is recovering from a bad break-up from his ex Evie Waters, and is determined to have her out of his life for good. When she ends up in one of his classes, he enlists the help of his best friend's sister, Violet Brooks, to act as his fake girlfriend in a final attempt to repel Evie. To keep up appearances, Charlie and Violet spend a lot of time together, painting the picture of the perfect couple. However, lines begin to blur between what is real and fake, and the pair are left to confront their feelings.

After reading 'Oar Than Friends', I was very excited to continue the series with this book, and I was not disappointed.

Both Charlie and Violet were truly likeable characters. Charlie was swoon-worthy and truly cared for Violet, and Violet was so sweet. She was very relatable and I wanted to be her friend. I enjoyed that neither of them were archetypal of what is sometimes found with this trope: Violet wasn't reduced to a friend's annoying younger sibling, nor was she hopelessly doting over Charlie the whole book, and Charlie wasn't a misogynistic Casanova.

From the beginning, I was rooting for their relationship, and I enjoyed the progression of things between them. It helped that they beat around the bush for too long before having conversations. Some of the problems they face in the book were frustrating but made sense for their age.

Another thing I really enjoyed were the side characters! I loved getting more of the friendship between Charlie, Oz & Hugo, and Stella was an amazing best friend to Violet. Gordon was hilarious, and they all helped add a richness to the story and to Charlie and Violet as characters.

If you want: a considerate and smitten male main character who is highly competent in the kitchen (he cook AND bakes), a chatty, unabashedly herself female main character who is a budding theatre actress, a handful of lovable friends, a dash of sports (I'm becoming increasingly interested in rowing), and moments to go 'Awww' over, then I would highly recommend this book!

Not sure what to rate this, but the romance between Charlie and Violet was very sweet. I was hesitant with how Charlie and his ex were portrayed in Oar Than Friends that Violet would seem like a second choice, but she didn’t. You could tell Charlie had moved on and once they kiss, he’s all in with Violet. There is a 3rd act breakup because he’s somewhat of an idiot and there are maybe a little too many comparisons (all positive) he makes between Violet and his ex, but still a cute and quick read. Bonus that Violet was not inexperienced or waiting around for him and Charlie was not a manwhore.

Charlie and Violet are too pure for this world. Their cuteness is explosive and needs to be protected.

Their connection was so pure and adorable.

I just love them so much <3

Thank you penguin/netgalley for an advanced copy.

TLDR; devoured in 1 sitting less than 24 hours after approval 💜💜💜💜💜

The way I ran to NetGalley to request this + the squeal I scramt when I got approved to read 😂 I reread [book:Oar Than Friends|198396625] recently in anticipation of reading this, I just didn’t realise I’d be fortunate enough to read it 2 months early so thank you SO much to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House + NetGalley for the opportunity to read + review this before it’s released.

You Float My Boat was read in one sitting this afternoon after shooting to the top of my TBR pile and it did not disappoint. Fans of the Luluverse will know Lulu writes the best down bad for their women MMCs and I think Charlie Masterson might be taking the crown for best book boyfriend. In a world with Jasper, Drew, Ace + Lux in, it’s stiff competition but I think Charlie might just clinch it, for me anyway.

I loved meeting the friend group in OTF and was excited to learn that Violet + Charlie would be next, I don’t think I was prepared to love them both as much as I do. Katey baby + Oz were a tough act to follow but I think they’ve been knocked off the top spot in the series. Give me a man who bakes cupcakes not once but twice *swoons*.

I enjoy Lulu’s books no matter where they’re set but there’s definitely something about the ones set in the UK that just make me love them that little bit more. I can’t wait to reread this when it’s out and I’m so excited to see who’s next in the series (I have some ideas).

Thank you Lulu for writing such loveable characters and expanding the Luluverse!!! And thank you once again to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House + NetGalley for the opportunity to read this. It’s one of my favourite 2024 reads and it’s not even out yet! You Float My Boat is out on 6th February 2025. I’m off to preorder my copy now!

I read this in one sitting

Can someone bake me violet cupcakes and take me to a boat race?

Since I started reading this series I’ve fallen in love with Lulu’s writing, I can’t put it down and they’re super easy reads.

You Float My Boat follows Violet and Charlie. Charlie has a crazy ex named Evie, he needs a way to stop her. He’s trying to get through University and focus on his rowing.

Violet is completing her English degree at Oxford, she’s auditioning for the lead role in Twelfth Night for the summer production.

Charlies solution is to ask Violet his best friends sisters to fake date him.

Lucky for Violet she’s always had a crush on Charlie!

💜 Best Friends Sister
🚣 Fake Dating
💜 Rowing
🚣 Oxford University
💜 Charlie being an absolute SWEETHEART
🚣 The Violet Effect

I also loved that we got to see a bit more of Kate and Oz romance!

I absolutely adored the first book in this wire’s. The second ones are always a bit tough to try to live up to but this one smashed it out of the park. So so good! Love the familiar characters and setting. I hope there is more to come from this series. I adore Lulu Moore books