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!

*More Than Shipmates* was a really fun and unique read. The book centers around a group of theater-loving adults on a cruise ship, and their interactions are both charming and engaging. The characters are fun, and their fun, spicy games add a playful edge that kept me entertained.

The close quarters on the ship created an atmosphere that intensifies the romance and drama, making every moment feel more immediate and intimate. However, it’s worth noting that the book is a bit on the long side for a romance novel. At times, it did feel a bit drawn out, and I found myself losing concentration when things were moving pretty slow. That being said, I enjoyed learning about the characters backstories so overall I didn't mind the length.

Despite the occasional pacing issue, the strength of the characters and the enjoyable setting kept me hooked. Overall, I’d give *More Than Shipmates* a solid 4 stars. If you appreciate a good character-driven story with a touch of theatrical flair, this book is definitely worth a read.

This is a fun, fast summer read! I didn't know it was a love triangle going in because, like most books, I went in blind. I don't love that trope but I didn't mind it in this book. It's a very un-serious book that is full of spicy ship shenanigans between all the crew. I did find the FMC annoying at times, but she figured at least some of her crap out by the end. This book lacked maturity among any of the characters though, so I think that's where it was disappointing at times.

The story was cute and the characters well flushed out. The boat games were my favorite, the things tom and Oscar did were swoomworthy. I'd read more from this author!

Thank you so much to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book!

This was a super fun summer read! I am quickly finding the the love triangle trope can be the most fun and I actually really enjoy reading them even when I say I don’t like them - the tension gets me every single time 🤣

I loved the nautical vibes of this one as it was unlike anything I have read before, more cruise ship romances please 🙏🏼

As with most romances these days, this one had that typical miscommunication trip that did feel a little frustrating at times, and has become quite predictable to most plot lines.

Overall, I had a fun time with this one and would recommend to anyone who loves a summer rom com!

I have never once thought about being a crew member on a cruise ship, honestly haven't even really thought about them while on a cruise either?? But this now makes me wonder all about the dynamics on every cruise ship between all the crew.
This book was fun and funny and emotional however, I think that was partly due to the love triangle which stressed me out a little but too much for my overall enjoyment. Tom stressed me out as well. I didn't always like his attitude, especially when contrasted with Oscar.
I usually like slow burns but this was a slowww burn in my opinion. I think Philippa could've sped things up just a little and it would've improved the overall experience for me.
Overall, I would recommend for a fun summer read but also can sit it being very hit or miss for some readers.

This is 100% a cute summer romance read, definitely the sort of book that is perfect to read on a holiday or basking in the sun.
I loved all the pop culture references and it is the steamiest cruise ship I have ever read about without a doubt.

However, I did go into this book thinking it was 'why choose' not a love triangle. I can very easily dislike a love triangle and because of that at times I don't think the style of the writing was always my favourite. Though I do like who she ended up with.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Eliza escapes from a life that isn't turning out as she'd hoped to work on a cruise ship in the entertainment department. She finds friendship, love, and purpose, while also having a LOT of fun (those crew party games!). I enjoyed this story though I did find it longer than it needed to be. I will look for book 2 in the series as I liked the characters and want to revisit them.

I liked the idea of this book. I’ve never seen the reality show that I would assume inspired this but it seems a fun concept to read about life aboard the cruise and the fun that could go along with it. Instead, this book ended up feeling a little too ‘insert scene here’ alongside overly predictable tropes. Now, yes, tropes are by its nature predictable but they’re usually woven into the storyline and I did not feel this happened here.

This is a love triangle story and you get the POV of all 3 characters which was not something i enjoyed. It becomes awkward and it is very tricky to make a love triangle an enjoyable adventure. Instead, you’re just waiting awkwardly and when someone gets picked, it just doesn’t have the same HEA feeling that couple or a polyamorous relationship. I thought this could be a threesome because the blurb doesn’t really say that she’s torn between two men, just that two men are interested in her.

This honestly made my heart so happy and sad all at the same time. I related so much to the way the fmc Eliza felt about herself and watching her find someone through all the bumps and hardships was so endearing. The love triangle aspect was done I think really well, it didn’t take too long of the book to know which man she’d end up with but I did enjoy seeing her sort of work out those feeling for the other guy. I also really enjoyed all the banter and fun little jokes, it really made it such a fun read. I thought I might find myself bored or skimming when there was a lot of talk about the different activities and day to day life but I was honestly weirdly captivating by the whole thing. I’m usually one for more spicy books and I think that there could have been more in it then there was but the level it had (being about a 2/5) fit well with the romcom genre of this one. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this on and I’m keen to read the next one cause it sounds just as adorable. I’m saying this one is a 4/5 read, could’ve maybe used some more action and conflict to like spice it up I guess but I definitely enjoyed it and I would recommend it to someone looking for this kind of read.

This was so cute! It reminded me of the show Below Deck which was fun! I've been meaning to start the show but hey, why not read a book with the vibes instead?!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

What a great book!! I loved the story and the writing style. Such a good book! I had a bit of everything. Spice, humor, awkward moments, drama! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would! My first for this author but will not be my last!

This was not a bad book by any means, it just wasn't anything special. The characters weren't particularly likeable, and I just wanted it to be over.

Cute silly awkward and very hilarious but so relatable. Enjoyable read. Will check out others by this author.

Thank you Netgalley, Summer Stars Publishing and Phillipa Young for giving me this copy of Shipmates.

A creative debut novel from Philippa Young that is a great beach/pool read! This story follows Eliza as she embarks on a new career journey aboard a cruise ship in order to escape her problems at home. The job aboard the cruise provides a great opportunity to reinvent herself! Aboard the cruise, she becomes entangled in a love triangle with two of her very attractive crewmates- the outgoing new hire and the somewhat serious trainer. The story is told from a 3-person POV. While at times a bit hard to follow, overall it was a fun steamy read about cruise ship life! (Also, it would be a great read for fans of a certain yacht based reality TV show!!!)

Rating: 3.5 (rounded to 4)

Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and Philippa Young for the e-arc.