More Than Shipmates was such a fun surprise! It’s got that perfect mix of close-quarters tension, found family vibes, and slow-burn romance that keeps you hooked from the first page.

The dynamic between the main characters is amazing, there’s history, unresolved feelings, and the tension that we all love. The ship setting is a first for me and it was really fun, it added a unique twist and extra intensity.

Even if some scenes lingered a little too long it was a great read, heartfelt, romantic, and a bit adventurous.

More Than Shipmates by Philippa Young is an engaging historical romance that blends adventure with deep emotional connection. Set against the backdrop of life at sea, the story follows two characters whose bond grows from professional camaraderie to something much deeper. Young's writing is vivid and immersive, capturing both the tension of life aboard a ship and the blossoming romance between the protagonists. The chemistry between the leads is strong, and the narrative strikes a perfect balance between romance, drama, and character development. Overall, More Than Shipmates is a heartfelt and captivating read for fans of historical romance.

This book started of really fun! I really liked the idea of a main character working on a ship and falling in love. However, I didn't really like the love triangle thing. I felt like the main character was leading them both on and it was taking a bit too long before I felt like the book was coming along. It took me a really long time to finish!

This book just didn’t work for me. I finished it a week ago, and honestly, I was more confused than when I started. The main selling point is the drama around the love triangle, but I didn’t realize that going in, and it left me uncomfortable. There are three POVs—our female protagonist and the two guys vying for her attention—and the constant back-and-forth between them, both emotionally and physically, was overwhelming. Watching her eventually choose just one felt strange after seeing everything from all perspectives.

While the cruise ship setting intrigued me, I found the lack of explanation about how things worked on the ship made it confusing. The timeline jumps also pulled me out of the story, and the relationships never seemed to progress. The characters felt immature for their age, which made it hard to connect with them.

This just wasn’t my type of book, but it might appeal to fans of love triangles.

More Than Shipmates by Philippa Young is a fun, lighthearted romance that takes readers on a whirlwind journey aboard a Caribbean cruise. Eliza Chapman, feeling inadequate in her personal and professional life, signs up to be an entertainment host, vowing to stay away from romance. But as the vibrant cruise environment stirs up unexpected chemistry, she finds herself torn between two attractive men—Tom, the cheeky American, and Oscar, the charming Brit. With humor, heart, and a dash of drama, Young captures the tension between resisting temptation and embracing new possibilities. It’s an engaging, breezy read perfect for fans of romance and self-discovery.

I was so happy to get this ARC when I did. I was just coming off a breakup and was looking for something light, fluffy , and SPICY. This book hit all the marks. A love triangle is one of my favorites and I feel like this was done so well for a debut novel. Thank you!!

I wanted to love this book. The synopsis made me excited to read it - I was feeling a ‘Below Deck’ vibe and was eager to start reading.

I liked Eliza’s character and could understand the attraction to both Tom and Oscar. However, I felt quite lost and confused at times. As a reader, we want the author to guide us…don’t think for us, but guide us in the right direction. This book had me flipping, back peddling, and head scratching. The name badge reveal part really confused me. How would Eliza not know that the person she was kissing/touching was the same person she’d been sleeping with numerous times before?

There were spicy scenes throughout the book. The author indicated this in the intro. This was a good, balanced amount of steam and the author did a brilliant job of making these scenes believable.

Besides my confusion and small grumbles above, I did like the storyline and I will read the next book.

Thank you publisher, NetGalley and author for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3 ⭐️

I thought I would love the location and set-up of this love triangle story, but something didn't work for me. There were too many miscommunications to make me the these people could have a successful relationship.

Great romance book by a great author. Loved the story and plot line. The cover is beautiful and will definitely read from this author again

I'll say what I really want to say, this book was long for no reason. There I said it and I am not ashamed to say it. It was complicated for no reason and it was messy for no reason, in my opinion. Even at the beginning I was bored. Snore fest with spicy scenes.

this was a cute and quick read! the story's premise is really unique, following Eliza as she starts working on a cruise ship - and her "who will she choose" romances with two of her shipmates. Eliza was a bit immature for my taste, and some of her decisions were silly to me,,, BUT that being said, this story was definitely entertaining! it gave the reality show Below Deck vibes!

Super fun and cute! I really enjoyed More than Shipmates. I have always loved watching below dexk so it was extra special to be able to read something even slightly similiar lol.

This story was cute, I did enjoy the games they had in between from working. It was a very interesting love triangle but I did love the life lesson that were given that Eliza had to chose on following her dream or not. I do plan on reading more from this author.

I was not a big fan of the love triangle honestly. Was kinda hoping this was a why choose but sadly it’s not. A lot of this book was fluff and honestly didn’t need to be as long as it is. I will be reading the next book though because there were some things In this one that I really enjoyed. But so I don’t spoil it for everyone I would definitely recommend reading the tropes.

I loved this book it gave me major below deck vibes! I enjoyed it that much that I bought a physical copy 🙈

This was a cute fun read! Not much plot but a great small palette cleanser for other books. This would a great time on a beach or if you want to add to your reading count

Easy, cute vacation/workplace romance. This was an easy read but not really for me, which is my fault as I do usually prefer a fantasy. There was a good level of steam and spice, and even with the love triangle still very enjoyable (especially is you do enjoy a love triangle.)

I had really high hopes for this one when I first Requested it but my reading preferences have changed since I requested and it wasn’t my cup of tea. However, I do think that there is an audience for this book and they would really enjoy it!

Cute enough but not really anything to write home about! Liked the premise and it’s a good vacation read where you don’t need to think too hard.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. This book is how a love triangle is done right! Such a great debut novel. I am looking forward to reading more of her books!