3.5⭐, 2🌶️

I hate to say it, but I was just bored with this book. I felt like nothing happened. Fake dating, but we caught feelings…..and….nothing else. A lot of will we, won’t we. . I really enjoyed book one with all the rowing knowledge and this book just fell flat in comparison.

Where the story lagged, the positive point? I LOVED the narrators for Violet and Charlie! Im not sure if Ive ever heard Sam Stafford or Rebecca Lee but their voices were so great for two British college students. They fit perfectly and I just enjoyed listening to them. Will seek out future audio works from them in the future!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest and unpaid review!

I have been so excited to read this book since the first one came out and it was everything I hoped for and more.

I just loved Charlie and Violet so much. Their instant connection and attraction was palpable from the beginning and I loved their fake dating story line. Violet has been secretly in love with Charlie for years but it was just so cute when Charlie finally realised he loved Violet just as much. The whole story was just a joy to read except for Charlie’s ex Evie, she was so annoying!

I can’t wait to see what happens in the rest of the series! Thank you so much to Lulu and NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc.

Lulu Moore hasn't written a bad book for me, the story of Charlie and Violet is one of those that you like from the beginning and I didn't just like it, I loved it.

Let's see, they started dating to divert the attention of Charlie's ex and leave him alone, but as we all know, feelings grow and here it's all nice, they don't make a big problem of it and just let it grow.

There is some drama with the ex, as I said above, that made me not be able to give it a full rating (but that's completely on me and my thing of not liking those dramas). No doubt, apart from that it's a story that reads fast, it's cozy, it's romantic and most of all it fills you with sighs.

3.5⭐️

I just love Lulu Moore! I’ve read everything she’s written and I can’t get enough!

The first book in the series was so good and I was so excited to read this one. I mean yes please to fake dating when they actually have feelings for each other!!! And Lulu did it well. I knew I was going to love Charlie because I loved him in the first one but Violet was such a pleasant surprise! They complemented each other nicely!

This was an enjoyable read, so lighthearted and fun. The banter was amazing, something at which Lulu never misses, and the side characters really added to the story.

The only thing I didn’t vibe with was the third act breakup. It was a little too immature for my liking and I couldn’t get over it.

Even so, I thought this was a fun addition to the series! Thank you Lulu, NetGalley, and Penguin Random House for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this light-hearted, fake dating romance. The relationship between the main characters was so sweet and felt very natural as it developed throughout the book. The side characters were also well developed, and I found myself constantly wondering who might be sneaking around with who and possibly become the subject of future books in the series!

If you like a fake dating college/uni based romance novel with a hint of spice, I'd definitely recommend picking this up! You can definitely read it independently of the first book in the series, as there is very little overlap in the stories, and I actually preferred this second book so if you were unsure about Oar Than Friends I'd suggest giving this one a try!

He’d known Violet Brooks for years, her brother Hugo was his best friend so when he needed a fake girlfriend to scare away his persistent ex and protect his battle-scarred heart, Violet came to mind. For wannabe actress Violet this was the role she had dreamt about for years ever since she’d fallen in love with Charlie even though he’d never even looked at her that way but perhaps this could be a chance to turn fiction into fact.

I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for You Float My Boat and Lulu Moore did not disappoint with this, the second book in the Oxbridge series. From a totally swoon worthy hero in Charlie Masterson aka Chazzles to Violet, to the setting of the classic rivalry that is the annual boat race and not forgetting the fabulous secondary characters in his housemates, the lovelorn Oz and the bottomless pit that was Hugo, I loved everything about this book. I mean not only does Charlie cook he bakes as well with personalised cupcakes his language of love. Violet was quirky and loyal and their romance of the cute and slowburn variety with a sprinkling of angst as the more time they spent together the more the line between pretending and reality blurred. Violet may have fallen for him first but star athlete that he was, Charlie soon caught up but his wicked witch ex was lurking in the background scheming to get him back leading to a third act break up but don’t panic, no cheating was involved. A couple of highlights of this book for me was Violet’s relationships with her brother, only siblings argue like that and her bestie Stella, they were obviously each others ‘ride or die’ no matter what. And since this book ran concurrently with the first book I loved seeing the heart broken Oz from another angle. Now I’m hoping the next book will reveal who Brooks was mysteriously texting or perhaps more of Stella and Leo…….whoever it features I can’t wait to return to the dreaming spires of Oxford and read more from these fantastic characters.

Basic info:
- Contemporary sports romance
- Double POV, 1st person, single timeline
- Part of a series of standalone books

Tropes & Hooks:
- Set at Oxford University
- Rower MMC/drama club participant FMC
- MMC cooks and bakes.
- Brother's best friend/Childhood crush
- Fake dating
- Secret relationship
- It has always been you
- Crazy (MMC's) ex.

My thoughts:
- Violet and Charlie decide to fake date to help him get rid of his crazy ex and Violet's brother is actually aware of it, so the overall dynamic and premise are interesting.
- Violet and Charlie are pretty much into each other from the very beginning they just are very hush-hush about their feelings. And because they think the other one is not really interested they don't act on their feelings. This dynamic can appeal to some, and not so much to others.
- Charlie definitely gets the book boyfriend badge. Every little and not-so-little thing he has done for Violets had me swooning. I could have done without the stupid thing he did in the end, you'll be able to spot what I'm talking about if (or when) you read the book. I don't think even his age is an excuse enough. Whenever Violet enters the room, Charlie's attention is exclusively on her. He becomes such a blubbery mess when she is near and I love it.
- This will probably go unnoticed by many of the readers, but not by my software engineer ass. I understand that Charlie is clever and everything, but it's not just that easy to go and break into your school's servers.
- Violet choosing her classes based on them being mostly after 10 a.m. didn't sit well with me, but it's a minor detail only mentioned once.
- There was an energy-related physics joke, that Violet supposedly didn't understand. I'm sorry but I don't think you need a physics degree to understand it.
- I couldn't say much happened plot-wise in this book. It was mostly based on the interactions between Charlie and Violet.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks to everyone involved in ARC's distribution.

You Float My Boat is book two in Lulu Moore's 'Oxbridge' series. A series that follows college-age leads through their chosen paths to and throughout their lives at university.

Both current books in the series are standalones and are inter-connected with one another. This means you can pick up this read with mild references to events that happened in book one, Oar Than Friends, or you can go to book one and start from the beginning. The choice, of course, is yours. Personally, I would always recommend going in release order within a book series.

As soon as I am able to go back and read the first book myself, I plan to do so. I picked up this book unintentionally knowing at first, that it was in fact book two. An error on my part.

Keen to pick up another Lulu read to check off my list of releases to catch up on, I was enticed to read this book based on the previous one I had read from her last year, which was also the read that finally and officially introduced me to her work. Namely, Once Upon a Christmas Tree. I was thoroughly impressed by the prequel read to when I came across this book, immediately hit 'request' for an advanced ebook copy. Zero hesitation.

Going by the cover alone--and the series title--, it was clear before glancing at the blurb that this was a sports romance of some kind. The oars gave the game away.

My reading preferences don't lean much in the way of any kind of sports romance, though one or two do sneak in occasionally. This book is one of them. In fact, I am sure that it is my first rowing-themed sports romance read. Happy to be ticking off a formerly unread branch of the sports romance sub-genre.

Aptly sailing us into new waters and second book in the series is our leading man, Charlie Masterson..

Grading with a first from Oxford University was all Charlie wanted out of his life at preset. Smooth waters soon turn choppy when his well thought out plans and thus, his life, get turned upside down when none other than old flame that won't stay snubbed out, Evie Waters one day walks into his Philosophy class. Once upon a time not too long ago, she was the soul owner of Charlie's heart. Where she led, he followed. Not anymore. He has no immediate plans to ever let his heart be taken by another, so he has to think and act fast to eradicate any of Evie's hopes of reigniting their once burning flame.

Cue, Violet Brooks. Said plan.

Having her life together just the way she wants it to be, for the most part, Violet now hopes to secure the lead role in the University production of Shakespeare's play, Twelfth Night. Simple? Not exactly. Her focus on landing the lead role is skewed when her brother's best friend--Charlie--asks her to be his fake girlfriend to throw off his former love from pursuing him. He also happens to be the same brother's best friend who she has been in love with since the very first time she saw him. Not so simple, indeed.

The plan to use Violet as his fake girlfriend to throw-off Evie HAS to work, because Charlie is using all of his focus into making sure it does. Focus that should be not only on his education, but in the success in being part of his rowing team. For Violet, she is not only going after the role of a lifetime for the play, but also is acting in real time, the part of a lifetime as a fake girlfriend to her long-time heart's trues desire.

Naturally as the two of them spend more time together to make their act more believable to anyone around them, Charlie and Violet soon find it hard to tell where their act together ends and where their feelings for one another begin here, in the real world. Their world. Especially when, at last, Charlie starts to look up on Violet the way she has always gazed at him from near and far both.

For a first foray into this series, the impression it left was exceptional. Lulu's signature writing style translated from my previous read from her while at the same time, having a unique voice all of its own that makes it stand independently. It is not a book that has copy/pasted any exact same elements, but has tweaked and twisted them to where they needed to be used to tell Charlie and Violet's story.

Despite not having gone to university/college myself, I cannot accurately describe or feed back on how the fictional lifestyle of the students compares to that of those within the real world, but I can feedback on the accuracy of how it felt to be a young, twenty-something navigating both themselves and the world around them. Lulu captures and delineated the confusing, fluctuating, impulsively irrational, hormone-controlled nature of young adults fresh out of their late teens who have crossed over into their early twenties. Charlie and Violet are far from the assured adults they consider themselves to be, often acting as if they are older than their years--which we all have done at some stage when we were their ages. Whether intentional or not, this aspect of our main characters is what made them all the more relatable, understandable and realistic.

Praise also has to be given to the crafting and curating of the side characters and their roles played in moving up, slowing down and adding the ideal amount of comedic relief, angst and support in a scene where needed. These characters can often win over the hearts of readers more so than the main characters and where that wasn't the case here, they did leave outstanding lasting impressions thanks to the flow of their dynamics both with Charlie, Violet and the two of them as a couple in scenes throughout the book. They worked in every scenario and more than earned their right to be as beloved, and to be loved, as their main character counterparts.

By the time that I had finished the last page, I felt like getting up on my own stage as Violet did hers, and proclaim to the readers of the United Kingdom just how much I was besotted by this clean-paced, realistically-wholesome read with the quintessential amount of emotional representation and depth, slow burn chemistry and young love born into fruition over time and with age.

I sincerely hope that we see more of the team in future releases adding to this series, because I would like to row alongside them to another victory for Lulu Moore with another page-turning story.

This was cute, funny and very easy to read.
Loved the characters, the general plot and how straight to the point it was from the very beginning.

Some things that I do want to point out though:
The pacing was a bit weird for about the first half of the book, so the transition from fake-daring to real-dating wasn't as smooth as it probably could have been. For it to be more believable, at least for me, there were just a couple more one-on-one scenes missing between Violet and Charlie.

I couldn't really stand Brooks, Violet’s brother & one of Charlie’s best friends. I haven't read the first book in the series, so I am not sure how his character was introduced, but in this one, he's more often than not put in the role not being the brightest star in the sky. Plus, whatever he was on about, it wasn't very brotherly towards Violet?! I didn’t have it in me to even attempt to think his remarks were funny or that he was in any way charming.

Some storylines were left in the open and I don’t understand why? Example: Kate & Oz. I assumed their story was done in book one, but apparently it’s being dragged out onto book three, for reasons I am not entirely sure.
Though I really came to like Oz!

As much as I am not a fan of the break-up, I can look past it. What I can’t look past is the reason because was that. Charlie’s alleged 150 IQ was absolutely nowhere to be found…
Given that Edie was the sole reason to fake-date in the first place, there could have been done more with her character. More scenes with all three of them. More scenes with Charlie, her and the study group. The potential was there.

Anyway, “You Float My Boat” is a cute and fun book and I will be looking forward to book three and attempt to read book one until then.

You Float My Boat is book two in her Oxbridge series. A best friend’s little sister, fake dating, secret and forbidden romance between Charlie Masterson and Violet Brooks. Set in Oxford as the guys of the Blue Boat team return to university after the Christmas break and are back training for the Boat Race. However, for Charlie, he has the added stress of his ex-girlfriend now being in one of his classes. He comes up with a plan involving his best friend’s sister and ‘Operation Get Rid of Evie’ begins. Enjoy this endearing romance as unrequited love suddenly becomes very requited.

“Everything you ever wanted has come true.”
Violet has had a crush on Charlie, her brother’s best friend and rowing team mate since she was fourteen. She had managed to avoid him her first term and thought she was finally over him, but an intriguing text from him, leads to them meeting up. Charlie had his heartbroken by Evie four years ago and vowed never to love again. The traumatic events involving her meant he couldn’t handle seeing her again. He always panics when he sees her because she manipulates and unsettles him plus she thinks she can get him back. He needs Violet to be his fake girlfriend so Evie will leave him alone. He hasn’t seen her in eighteen months and is shocked over how stunning she now is.

Could this arrangement be the role of a lifetime for Violet and be the perfect way to make him fall in love with her. Could all her dreams come true? Hopefully everyone will believe they are dating especially as the chemistry is there and they find being together very easy. Charlie had promised Hugo nothing would happened between them but when Violet sees Evie she doesn’t think twice and kisses him.

Charlie is finding her a real distraction as she is so good at pretending. She’s amused how awkward and nervous he is around her. It is so adorable how confused he is over his feelings for her especially as he’s a genius. He has never felt like this before and realises he is falling for her fast but what is he going to do about it especially as he feels so guilty for kissing her and worries about telling Hugo. It moves quickly from fake dating to a secret relationship and all Violet’s longing comes back. It helps that she has great acting skills but Violet has to remind herself that it’s not real when it seems very real to her.

This runs along some of the same timeline as the first book, Oar Than Friends so it was fun catching up with the rowing team. I enjoyed all their teasing and how they pull together when they are rowing. I liked we got Oz’s side of his relationship with Kate and more from Olly. I really liked the banter between Violet and her best friend Stella and it turns out Violet might not be the only one with a secret relationship! His class mate Gordon is a sweetie and falls under Violet’s spell.

Overall a sweet read because Charlie and Violet are adorable together. I loved the holding hands and meeting after class, helping her with her lines and the sonnet, the baking and ‘The Violet Effect’. However, the miscommunication and the third act break up were annoying. I know she is dramatic but I felt sorry for Charlie, even though he could have dealt with the situation better. Interesting hint at end for Hugo and his crush on Imogen but I really would like Olly’s story.

3.5 ⭐️
2 🌶️

brothers best friend friend
fake dating

it was a cute and cozy read
Charlie was very sweet and violet was nice, they were both very likeable.


Thank you for the eArc

Thank you Lulu Moore, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House, NetGalley, Valentine PR for my copy of You Float My Boat. 🤍 I received this book for review, all opinions are my own and given freely.

Oar Than Friends is book 1 of Lulu’s Oxbridge series which I adored. When I saw You Float My Boat I literally squealed and have been so looking forward to reading it! It did not disappoint in any capacity. I absolutely love Lulu’s writing. I’m such a big fan of all of her books to be honest. I wholeheartedly recommend! I am praying she continues this series because I need to know what happens w all of these characters moving forward, I’m not ready to let them go just yet!

You Float My Boat is about Charlie and Violet. What starts out as an agreement for fake dating quickly progresses into not so much fake… I’m telling you fake dating is quickly becoming my bread and butter trope. I would eat it up all three square meals if I could at this point. Not only fake dating trope but Lulu also spoils us w brothers best friend, a little forbidden thrown in and unrequited love. I liked both Charlie and Violets characters. I really enjoyed watching their fake relationship turn very real especially since Violet had such a strong unrequited love for Charlie for years. I loved seeing the side characters and their relationships continue, especially Oz from OTF. But the little twist of Oz and Kate in this book has me on pins and needles, like I need more information on their situation asap. I’d love to see a book for each of the side characters. I will literally read anything Lulu presents to us. She’s absolutely an auto buy author for me.

You Float My Boat releases February 6! 🎉

this book had me feeling as smitten as Violet & Charlie the whole time 🥰

⭐️: 4.5/5
🌶️: open door, slow burn

💭 overall thoughts:
Violet + Charlie are absolutely adorable!

Charlie enlists the help of Violet (his best friend’s little sister) to be his fake girlfriend, to keep his ex girlfriend from trying yet again, to win him back.

Violet has had a crush on Charlie since her brother brought him home when she was 14 - she tries to remind herself it’s “not real,” but the lines quickly become very, very blurry.

I loved that we got the MCs together right away in chapter 1 - the premise was set up immediately, and I started falling for Violet & Charlie in the first few pages 🥹

I appreciated that college characters were acting their age for once (not that 19 year olds can’t be mature, but this just felt more realistic). I didn’t always love how Charlie handled his ex Evie, but it seemed like how a 21 year old would behave so it made sense!

I can't quite pinpoint what has me dropping a half star, but something about this one didn't grab me as much as the first. I'm still loving this little world, and can't wait to continue the series 😍

read if you love:
💙 brother’s best friend
🥸 fake dating
🏫 college romance
🚣🏻 mmc on the rowing team
🚫 forbidden
🥹 she falls first, he falls harder
🐢 slow burn
💞 dual 1st person pov

Thank you to Michael Joseph (Penguin Random House) & NetGalley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

My obsession with Lulu is real guys, I worked my way through Lulu’s entire backlog in 2024 and You Float My Boat is no exception.

Fake Dating your Brothers Best Friend who quickly realises he can’t resist you, the feelings you draw out of him. When he names it The Violet Effect — You swoon and you swoon hard.

Violet was everything I didn't know I needed, she may of had a lifelong crush on Charlie but she owned it. She took charge and did exactly what she wanted in the hopes it panned out in her favour.

Charlie fell hard, and he honestly did the cutest things. The cupcakes, who wouldn't fall for a guy that bakes them cupcakes.

Their relationship was build with so many tender moments. Lulu had me glued to the pages.

A little bit of love from Oz to round this one off, because you know, its Oz — Book 2 follows along with the same timeline as Book 1 and I LOVED the little glimpses you get. The friendship between Charlie and Oz. It melts your dang heart.

To wrap this up, Brooks had me giggling during several moments but of course he had to drop in this little snippet towards the end and yes I cannot wait for Lulu to give us his book —

“I warned you that my sister was a drama queen”
“Anyway. You and Violet can be drama queens together.”

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

First I would like to thank Penguin and Lulu Moore for the opportunity to read this early!!

Charlie Masterson is determined to keep his heart locked away, especially from Evie Waters, the girl who once broke it. But when his best friend’s sister, Violet, steps into the picture as his fake girlfriend, things start to get messy in the best possible way. What begins as a strategic distraction soon blurs the lines between acting and reality, and the tension between Charlie and Violet is chef’s kiss perfection.

It is sharp, witty, and full of so much built up tension. Charlie is the perfect mix of brooding and charming, while Violet is the kind of heroine you root for from page one. Their chemistry builds beautifully, making every moment feel earned.

Overall, it was heartfelt and addictive and it will have you grinning, swooning, and maybe even yelling at the characters to just admit their feelings already! If you love academia-set romances with fake dating that feels all too real, this one’s for you!

Would recommend if you love:
📖 Fake dating gone wrong (or right?)
🎭 A little Shakespearean flair
🎓 Academic banter & Oxford vibes
💔 Second chances & slow-burn longing

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
I love a good fake dating, childhood crush, forbidden romance! 😍

THOUGHTS 💭
🎭 Violet has always wanted Charlie and he is just realizing she exists; I love a good childhood crush (complete with years of pining from afar) that turns into “the real deal.”
🚣‍♀️ Charlie is a smart, sweet nerd and I loved watching his smart self fall into something as silly as “love”… especially with his best friend’s sister.
🎭 It took me a minute to get into this story and these characters, but once I did, I was all-in on Charlie and Violet’s fake dating love story!
🚣‍♀️ Oz and Kate’s story from Oar Than Friends is one of my favorites and this book takes place alongside Oz and Kate’s story; I loved seeing different snippets of Oz and Kate’s story from a different perspective.
🎭 I love a good forbidden romance! It hits right every time and that underlying “we’re not supposed to be doing this” vibe is perfection.

Thanks so much to Lulu Moore and Penguin Random House for the ARC of this book!

Childhood crush turn fake dating is such a specific trope that I continue to love and Lulu Moore really did a great job with that. This book had my heart fluttering non stop. Violet and Charlie were swoony, cutesy and funny. I loved how their relationship grew in such a natural way, like the more they discovered about each other the more in love they fell. The third act hurt but it also felt real and made sense so I appreciated how the end played out. I just adored getting to watch these two fall in love!

I liked that this was happening at the same time as book 1 so we got to see Oz be down bad for Kate again. I am excited to see where this series continues to go as Lulu progresses with it.

🌟 4.75/5

‼️ While this book can be read as a standalone, this is book 2 of the Oxbridge series

ℙ𝕆𝕍: first person, dual perspectives

𝕄𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
Lulu's books remind me of a comforting hug or the fuzziest of blankets in the winter. Going into this book, I knew I was absolutely going to love it. I didn't think my heart could see enough to read with all the heart emojis in its eyes!😍

Charlie knows he's in a load of trouble after finding out that he's going to be in the same class as his ex. To ensure that he doesn't get ensnared in her web again, Charlie asks his best friend's little sister, Violet, to act as his fake girlfriend. After being in love with Charlie for years, Violet is hesitant to fake the one the thing she truly wishes to be. Plans are quickly solidified after Charlie's ex waltzes in trying to rekindle things.

These two were literally the cutest! The little things they did for each other were swoony and promising. Even with the attraction these two had for each other, I loved how their friendship remained! IMO, that's one of the best parts about romance.🫶

Are y'all ready for some random thoughts now?
I REALLY REALLY wanted to try that freaking sandwich! Honestly, all the things Charlie made, I would probably be like Brooks!🤣
Another one... Ok, but why did Gordon remind me of a mixture of Five from the Umbrella Academy and Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory?!?!? I LOVED his character and giggled every time he was brought up or appeared!🤣

Thank you to NG and Lulu for the ARC! It was a true pleasure to read yet another wonder book with the same things I always look forward to reading that you write!❤️

‘So you want me to be your bodyguard,’ Violet began, a smirk cresting the corner of her plump lips, ‘I’m Kevin Costner and you’re my Whitney Houston?’

Gawd I love Violet!! I knew I was going to love Charlie but I wasn’t expecting to love Violet as much. I guess it’s the Violet effect. 💜I feel like I have been waiting for this book forever and I am happy to report it was worth the wait.

This book was the perfect blend of brother’s best friend, fake dating, sassy banter, rising tension, complete with a great friends group. I love that it shares a timeline with Oar than friends. Really makes me wonder whom we will get next. I don’t care will be here for it either ways.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author Lulu Moore for the advanced reading copy, all my opinions are my own.

This book is SO STINKIN’ CUTE!!!! Where do I start? I don’t know! Charlie was such a lovable cheeky chappy (after some coffee) in book 1, and he was just such a fun MMC.

Twelfth Night is one of my fav Shakespearean plays, and I’m glad the FMC wasn’t called Viola (that would’ve been a bit too on the nose!) in this book. With Brooks and Charlie being the dynamic duo in Book 1, I was wondering how this fake dating, brother’s BFF / BFF’s sister thing was going to go down. I won’t spoil it, but I’ll just say that this book was just so cute and fun to read! No notes.