3.5 stars. Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this book! I loved how the book started and detailed life on a cruise ship and the spicy scenes. Ultimately though the book felt a bit long and I started to lose interest 2/3 of the way. The ending did pull it back together though and overall I enjoyed it enough to recommend.

This book made me ugly laugh! So unbelievably relatable!

I have worked on a cruise ship as a musical theatre actress in the shows on board and this made me reminisce about my cruising days so much. I don't know what cruise liner the author worked for but it sounded very similar to the one I worked on, however there was extreme hatred for the cast members from all departments on my ship, but we were most hated by the ents hosts unfortunately. The ents hosts in this book were much friendlier, wish we'd had that!
Love the musical theatre references, as a real life MT I could totally relate to a lot of what the author was talking about.
Also can relate to the irritating training when you first embark, and all the bullsh*t extra things you have to know and learn.
Obviously, there's a few things that were different to real life and a few things that simply wouldn't happen, well, certainly not on my ship as it was really strict and the crew mess food was practically inedible to the point we had constant D&V. But this is the closet story I've read to what it's really like working on a ship.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to work on ships but has no idea what the actual life on board and below deck is like, I feel lots of people have some misconceptions but this book shows both the glamour and the not so glamorous side of working on a ship.
I have already recommended this book to all my ship mates and they're already dying from the first few chapters.

Damn, I miss the endless drama of who slept with who due to the $1 pints of beer in the crew bar.

Thank you to Victory Editing and NetGalley for this copy!

What an outstanding debut! I was instantly drawn to this book knowing it was set on a cruise ship. I've never been on a cruise and reading this felt like I set sail for the first time! *There may be spoilers, read with caution*

Our FMC Eliza is dealing with some serious but relatable imposter syndrome and I think we've all been there at that age. You're instantly rooting for her to find her place. I love her story battling that while facing all the new challenges on ship as well as what she left behind at home. There's a few moments where you reflect on your own story and really feel for her and wonder what you would have done in her shoes or maybe done differently in your own. Some of the love life drama felt a little cringe, but then again so does some real life love issues. My only hitch while reading this was the multi POVs was a little confusing at first as it was unexpected and at times felt unnecessary, but I ended up enjoying it for the most part especially knowing one of them is the MMC in the sequel. I truly fell for both MMCs and all of the side characters were so fun. I instantly wanted to join their friend group turned family. All of the shenanigans on board made me want to sign a cruise ship contract ASAP and had me LOLing as well as tearing up. Bravo to Philippa on this incredible debut. I cannot wait to read #2 in the Below Deck series!

"Am I the drama?"- Eliza Chapman, probably.

I really really enjoyed this book! It got me out of a reading slump. It was so fun and I loved the love triangle. It was well written and just what I was looking for. Oscar and Eliza are perfect for each other. The beginning and the end were fantastic but I found that the middle was a little bit too long and I got a little bit bored and honestly annoyed with Eliza.

More than Shipmates by Philippa Young is the perfect summer read. I've never read a book before taking place on a cruise ship. I love cruising and this book made me feel like I was right in the middle of this love triangle. So swoon worthy and overall an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Summer Stars Publishing at NetGalley for the ARC of More Than Shipmates in exchange for an honest and independent review.

Eliza Chapman is looking for a do over in life. After failing to get into drama school three times, she has resigned herself to being less than and simply not good enough for anything or anyone. Her relationships have failed her, her boyfriend cheated on her, and her friends stopped including her on their lives. She simply had nothing left for her back in London. In a spontaneous turn of events, Eliza decides to enlist in a six month adventure aboard a cruise ship as an activities coordinator. Here she can escape to a new start where no one knows her and give her life the do over it deserves all while swearing off men and all other nefarious activities.

She quickly finds her place on the ship and falls in with the close knit group of entertainers. In no time she forms a close bond with, Tom, a hunky American seeking an out from his own personal issues. Meanwhile, under the vigilant tutelage of Oscar, a hunky senior staff member, while she learns the ropes, Eliza starts to feel her walls swearing off all men begin to crumble. Close quarters mixed with sexy ship games created by the staff to pass the time only make Eliza's resolution less steadfast and before she knows it, she's caught in an unwanted love triangle between Tom (her best friend) and Oscar (her sexy mentor).

As feelings brew aboard the ship, Eliza knows she's in trouble and there's no fighting it now. She quickly needs to decide how to move forward without hurting both people that she cares for deeply, all while still pursing her ambitions and for once not putting others before herself, only to be the one to wind up broken in the end. Who will she pick? Oscar? Tom? Herself? Hop onboard and find out for yourself! This one is sure to be spicy ride for all involved!

Now lets unpack this one...First off, this was a longer read than what I was expecting for the given storyline. There were parts that I felt were a bit unnecessary to the story and could have been removed to keep the excitement going. One moment the book is flowing quickly and you can't wait for the next salacious thing, and then the next I found myself struggling to wade through the history of the characters or flashbacks that were a bit confusing to follow. That being said, I did really enjoy the character dynamics presented. You could really feel the bond of the crew. The only thing I found a bit weird was the explicit nature of the games they played aboard the ship to pass the time. I know it was meant to add spice and sass to the book, but they were almost so far out there it really wasn't believable on some levels.

Lastly, and I know this is a personal opinion, but there were several moments I wanted to stop reading only because I could not stand the main character at times. There is only so much "woe is me, I'm a failure" that I can take and Eliza seemed to play the victim card all too easily, which just annoyed me. Also, her indecision between Tom and Oscar was just maddening at times. I wanted to yell for her to just pick a path and stick with it and quit looking over her shoulder for the next best thing! Okay, I shall remove myself from my soapbox now.

While I thought the book was a fun read, it was just a bit long for ultimately what it was and I had some personal issues with the main character. Beyond that, I am excited that there is a second part to this one, which I am tempted to pick up just to learn more about the characters that have grown on me. Also excited to see how Eliza's decision has turned out for her and where her future takes her as well, even though the second installment circles around a separate character from the first book (not giving anything away here). Overall a very sexy take on life at sea and always remembering to bet on ourselves when it feels like everything is falling apart. Happiness can always be just 10 seconds away!

OUUUUUU am i a sucker for some tension... I loved the overall vibe of this book. The characters were very very lovable, and the tension was 10/10. At certain points I did find it slightly hard to follow along, it dragged for a bit. But, with that being said, once you push through the sticky spots it picks up like craaaazy! What a great great read to introduce summer <3

Apologies, I have already been sent this and have read and reviewed. I totally thought it was the second book in the series🙈.

Here’s my previous review….
I’m an idiot for not reading this sooner. It was brilliant. I absolutely loved the style of writing. It kept me engaged the whole time, and when I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about it.

The character growth from all was written so well. I loved how they all helped each other grow.

My only complaint is the constant self doubt from the main characters. After finishing I understand and appreciate the need for it but at the time I found it a little annoying.

Everything else was fab, and I can’t wait for the next instalment!!!

A cute spicy romance based on a cruise ship.

Eliza’s been trying to get into drama school for the last 3 years. After an awful year working for her brother she packs up and joins a cruise line working as an entertainment host. While there she meets newbie Tom an American dealing with the death of his father and Oscar who has been working on cruise lines for years.
Eliza set herself one rule when she joined the cruise - don’t fall in love……

This was a fun easy read for me and I really liked the main characters. It’s told from multiple POV’s and has some good smutty scenes. I enjoyed the setting of the cruise ship as it made it feel different to a lot of spicy rom coms out there and the antics the staff get up to were hilarious.

I will be posting a review of this book on my Instagram on the 1st June 2024.

Omg! The tension between the characters is perfect! The spice was a good amount. And I loved the cruise/travel story that created this close proximity between characters. They had no option but to face one another. This is book 1 and I’m excited to follow Eliza’s journey in the next book if she’s included. If not, I’m excited for whoever we will follow in book 2.

ARC REVIEW**
NetGalley

I NEED MORE!!!!
I have never laughed so hard at some of these interactions between characters. This book is all about finding yourself when your original dreams don’t go to plan and learning to love and accept yourself. Meeting super hot boys is never a negative either.
Do yourself a favor and read this. You won’t be disappointed.

Review posted on Goodreads and amazon

The concept for this was intriguing and the characters were fun. However, I did find the story hard to follow at times. There seemed to be too much going on at times. I am sure this book would be loved by some, but it wasn’t the style for me.

This is a prime example that it’s not always about literary gold, but it’s about the fun vibes. More Than Shipmates was an enjoyable ride from start to finish, and it slowly helped me with the worst reading slump EVER. The romance was super cute, as were the drinking parties, the love proclamations, and the ending. While I definitely would have preferred no breakup scenes, it was still so enjoyable.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately, I had a really hard time getting into it. I did not connect with the characters and felt as though they were really immature for their age. I dnf this book at 25%.

More Than Shipmates follows Eliza as she struggles with past rejections and breakups while trying to find her place on board a cruise ship in the Entertainment department.

I loved this book, its unique setting, and the many fantastic characters. Eliza, Tom and Oscar are all entertaining and sexy, and while love triangles aren't usually my trope of choice, I felt like it was perfect in this book! The love triangle is written well, and it felt like it developed and ended naturally.

Having recently been on a cruise, I found this book super relatable! I laughed at the end author's note - "I take no responsibility if you uproot your life and don't fall madly in love." I loved this, mostly because the book honestly does make you feel like you should immediately quit your job and go and work on a cruise ship for half a year. Or at the very least, go and spend a good amount of time on holiday aboard one!

This was a fun read, packed full with laughs, entertainment and spice.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review More Than Shipmates!

This was the cutest romantic comedy! I absolutely loved the cruise ship setting, and the witty banter from our female main
Character. This was a sweet, fun, easy summer read. Would recommend this author!! I'm looking forward to reading the next book of this series and following more cruise ship folly's.

I would like to thank Victory Editing NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the story of Eliza who joins the entertainment crew of a cruise ship for a 6 month Caribbean run after a rough few months back home in England. While on the ship Eliza is determined to focus on the job and NOT the super attractive Tom and Oscar who are both a determined to be the ultimate distractions. Will she succeed at this job or will she fall into old habits and let people convince her she isn't enough?

What I Loved:
- Multiple POV, even this is a story about Eliza both Tom and Oscar have chapters in their POV and I like that perspective
- Cruise ship culture, I have heard stories and I enjoyed seeing some of the actual antics of cruise ship staff "after hours"
- Support, Tom and Oscar are both romantic interests of Eliza but I think most important they are her key source of support and encouragement helping her rebuild her confidence in her ability as a performer and friend
- Spicy, I was pleasantly surprised by the spice throughout this book maybe I shouldn't have been

Overall I really enjoyed this book, I was never part of a cruise staff but I was a camp counselor for many years and there are some similar experiences. If you are looking for a story about someone who is trying to figure their life out with a great group a people and a few men to choose between then you should check this story out.

"More Than Shipmates" by Philippa Young is like the ultimate escape fantasy on a Caribbean cruise, and trust me, it's as fun as it sounds. Eliza Chapman, our main girl, lands a gig as an entertainment host and vows to steer clear of dating at work. But then she meets Tom and Oscar, and the whole "no romance" plan goes overboard. It’s not your usual annoying love triangle; you kind of know where things are headed, but it's all about the ride!

Philippa totally nails the cruise ship vibes, making you feel like you're right there with them—sun, sea, and a bit of drama. Sure, there are moments when you wish they’d just talk things out and save some drama, but where’s the fun in that, right? If you’re in the mood for something light and breezy with a good dose of flirting and finding yourself, this book is it. Totally a must-read for a chill day.

Thank you to Summer Stars Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

this book made me want to quit my job and go work on that cruise ship while ignoring everything from the outside world

this was such a fun read, the characters truly felt like such a good friendship group and whole love triangles are usually something i hate as a trope, this one didn’t actually feel like one, it was very obvious who was going to be with who and the relationships felt very realistic

the struggles the characters were going through was something i could really relate to and this book hit a bit close to home

the things i had a problem with is that i felt some scenes switched up without me noticing how and the random pov add about 30% through took me out a bit, but i ended up enjoying it, i didn’t love how people couldn’t just talk to each other and work stuff out and i feel like if that was the case the book could’ve been about 150 pages shorter, but overall it was such a fun read and an amazing debut novel

My review will be published to my Goodreads now and my Bookstagram (kristianasbookshelf) towards the beginning of June

Thank you to NetGalley, Summer Stars Publishing and Philippa Young for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review

not quite 3.5 but not quite a 4 star read for me

i was really excited to give this book a try finally and thought it was so much fun and different for a good majority of the book and then what felt like the blink of an eye eliza became so insanely insufferable that i almost called it quits bc i couldnt stand reading anything of her pov. i do enjoy that another character finally told her to grow the fuck up essentially but even after that and her getting a bit better i found myself still not caring.

so besides that its still somewhat of a decent rating bc i did really have fun most of the book, its basically just vibes no true plot. the cruise ship setting was a fun change of pace, it was a little too chaotic and wordy sometimes but over all fun.