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.

First and foremost, thank you to Philippa Young, the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Short and Sweet Opinion: 3/5 Stars. I have a love dislike relationship here. There were aspects I loved and aspects I could really have done without. The steam and fun aspects were great, but I felt that there was too much that was "important" and aspects were drug on for too long.

Summary: This is a three POV story following main characters Eliza, Oscar and Tom on their journey through love, lust, and friendship aboard a cruise ship. Eliza is our main MC with the majority of chapters in her POV, and we start (and continue) with her constantly running away from her problems. As one might expect, drama an chaos ensue aboard the ship, with romance sprouting between our MMCs (and a mystery man??)

In Depth Opinion: I have a love / dislike (not quite hate), relationship with this book. There are aspects I LOVE. First off (no spoilers), I love the character Eliza ends up with. I was rooting for him all along, and the other option(s) were never really options for me. I love the premise of romance aboard a cruise ship. And I love that the author tried to add depth to her characters, and honestly was successful with both Tom and Oscar.

Also... I love the steaminess of this book. The shenanigans that the crew gets up to are true high school / college shenanigans. Effectively dorm life, dorm parties with alcohol fueled games and chaos. This fun aspect, along with the spice chemistry between two MCs is what kept me going. These aspects of the book, along with a few others, made parts of it fun to real.

I'm gonna be honest... the dislikes mostly evolve around Eliza. She felt very very childish, and was initially in love with whoever was in front of her at the time. While I understand the premise to her character, and all that she was trying to run away from and overcome, I feel that the "running away from my problems and overreacting" concept drug on for too long. Honestly, that is one of my main qualms with this book is it felt way too long and drawn out. I felt like I was constantly over the hump and would look down and see so much book left. There were so many different plot points that were trying to be important, that almost nothing ended up being important.

Without spoilers, I did very much enjoy the wrap up in the ending, even if I thought there were multiple unnecessary complications. The romance wrap up was adorable, but the "what does the future hold" wrap up felt very disjointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This book was sadly ultimately a DNF for me - I loved that it was set on a cruise and the amount of spice involved, but I felt like the voice felt too young for me at the time of reading it - I don't know why, but these kids remind me of college students at their oldest, with not much depth to their individual characters, and that wasn't what I was feeling - though I'll never be one to bash on a light-hearrted rom-com. I think this might be the perfect book to bring on a cruise...or maybe it would just make me uncomfortable think about all the things going on behind the scenes. I think it also ended up bothering me that, as someone who has been on cruises, a lot of the difficult labor and hours that the employees are subjected to often mean that most of the staff isn't white / aren't citizens of a Western country.

3.5/5 ⭐️ (rounded to 4)
4/5 🌶️

Horny cruise ship workers in a love triangle (but in a good way?).

This book was such a fun read. I don’t think I would’ve picked this one up since the love triangle trope isn’t one that I usually like, but this one DELIVERED!

I loved the tension between the characters and the “love triangle” between Eliza (FMC), Oscar Harvey (MMC), and Tom (MMC) was well thought out and important to the story. Peaking into Young’s cruise ship world was a new setting for me and I enjoyed having a different kind of locale! The vibes were light, while still covering heavier topics and addressing those with empathy and intention.

There was some miscommunication and a third act breakup, which are tropes I don’t really enjoy when not done well, which is why the one star is removed. I think it would’ve been better for Eliza’s character to have developed more and spoke with Oscar Harvey to clear up his birthday situation, I would’ve loved that more especially seeing that growth on the page especially since the same situation happened with Tom earlier in the book.

I will most definitely be reading the next book in the series (which the characters are Tom from the love triangle, and Oscar Harvey’s SISTER!) and can’t wait to see what Philippa Young cooks up next!

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

⭐4 stars
🌶️ 3 spice

In More Than Shipmates by Philippa Young, the novel follows Eliza (FMC), who is running from her past and trying to make something of herself. Eliza finds herself working on a cruise ship. On the first day, she meets Tom, the funny, American boy who can brighten anyone's day. She also meets her mentor, Oscar, the charming, reformed British bad boy. As the days go on, her friendships become stronger with both and is conflicted as they both start to show their feelings are stronger than “just friends”. Will Eliza be able to make it through her contract without falling for the charming Brit or the hilarious American?

First, let me just say that I LOVE OSCAR! His character shows a lot of development throughout the novel and I just absolutely fell in love! He was so caring and wanted to put everyone else first. He was a 10/10. Also, I loved the references to musicals (as a musical lover).

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I really liked the multiple POVs for chapters, I just feel like this is the easiest way to really get a feel for emotions. This was my first love triangle book and I was a bit skeptical. The author does a really great job pulling reader’s into the pull Eliza has to the two men. I definitely recommend this quirky and steamy read to romance book readers. I can’t wait for book two, More Than Clickbait, to come out!

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the eARC of More than Shipmates by Philippa Young in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve never read a cruise ship setting before and I’ve not read many love triangles and ones i have read before disappointed me, but this did not disappoint! Philippa had me rooting for both guys at different points, but I’m glad with who Eliza ended up with in the end. I loved seeing all 3 of their POVs it made me connect to them more and we got to delve deeper into each character’s backstory. I liked and enjoyed all 3 of the main characters, which is rare!

For a debut novel, this was really good. The tension was fun and all over the place. And being surrounded by a bunch of young 20-something year old characters brings about its own brand of chaotic angst, passion, and energy. There was always something going on, just like on a cruise ship, and I loved the endless entertainment and buffoonery vibes this book has in it.

However, there was a lot of inner monologue rather than outer dialogue which got monotonous quickly. I wish they told their backstories to each other rather than to the reader. And since it’s on a cruise ship, I was hoping for more details about the locations they went to or what the ship looked like. But that didn’t take away from how cute the story is.

Liked it. It was such a fun read and I enjoyed getting to know the BTS of a cruise ship!

The characters were adorable. I loved Oscar so much oh lord.

te read. Loved the cruise ship working setting. It was a perfect debut novel for Philippa Young. It was clearly written by a brit and I loved her humor. The characters were diverse and easy to love. Overall an enjoyable read!

Thank you to Netgalley the Publisher, of Summer Stars Publishing, and the author Philippa Young, for providing and allowing me to review this book. Which, I'm giving my honest and sincere review.

More Than Shipmates has a vibrant and inviting cover – it truly is the most beautiful summer cover I have ever seen.

The story follows Eliza Chapman, who feels she's never quite measured up in life. Failing to get into drama school, struggling with relationships, and even faltering in her role as her brother’s PA, Eliza is ready for a change. She decides to start fresh as an entertainment host on a six-month Caribbean cruise, embracing the motto “work hard, play hard.”

Eliza is determined to keep her romantic life separate from her professional life, swearing off men entirely. However, her resolve is tested as she navigates the dynamic and sometimes scandalous nightlife of the cruise, where she finds herself caught between the charming Brit, Oscar, and the cheeky American, Tom. The chemistry and tension between the characters create a steamy and captivating romantic comedy.

One of the plot’s strongest points is the well-drawn character development and the evolving relationships. Eliza's journey of self-discovery and her efforts to break free from her past mistakes are both relatable and inspiring. Her growth throughout the book is evident as she learns to balance her career ambitions with her personal desires, ultimately realizing that it's possible to have both success and love without compromising on either.

The interactions with Tom and Oscar are filled with wit, humor, and a genuine sense of connection, making the reader eagerly turn pages to see how things unfold. The romance is steamy yet tasteful, and the comedic elements are perfectly timed, adding light-hearted moments that balance out the tension. There are plenty of steamy situations that make it clear this is an adult book, from late-night escapades to intense, flirtatious encounters that push Eliza's resolve to its limits. Although I’m not usually a fan of love triangles, this one was exceptionally well done and kept me engaged.

Philippa Young masterfully captures the essence of starting over and the excitement of new beginnings, all set against the backdrop of a luxurious Caribbean cruise. The setting itself adds a layer of escapism, transporting readers to a world of sun, sea, and endless possibilities.

"More Than Shipmates" is a delightful read, perfect for anyone looking for a tension-filled, romantic comedy set against the backdrop of a tropical adventure. It’s a story about finding oneself, embracing change, and opening up to love, no matter how unexpected it might be.

THANK YOU NETGALLEY AND PHILIPPA FOR THE ARC!!!!

This was the perfect read to get me in the summer mood. I was hooked from the start and could not put this book down.

Yes there is a love triangle but it was written perfectly (this is usually a trope that I am not a fan of) and Philippa gave me all the feels.

I HIGHLY recommend this book during the summer (but lets be real I will be reading this again when seasonal depression hits) everyone should read this book.

4.5 stars and 4 star spice 10000/10 vibes!!!

This is exactly the summer book I didn’t know I needed. The main characters were perfect below deck type characters. And I’m a sucker for a love triangle story line. Moving Eliza in with Tom was a perfect move and I still think about the haunted house. I’ve been trying to find a copy of the second book and wish it was available on audible.

Eliza needed a change. She took a job on. a cruise ship to get as far away from her former life as possible. Little did she know it would be quite the change.

I really enjoyed this cute story. I would recommend this to any friends who enjoy a good romance.

I enjoyed this title as it wasn’t your typical “beach read”. This book had way more love triangle angst than I was expecting. The unexpected element of living on a cruise ship made the book fun as it had a glimpse into the “activities” (haha) aboard the ship. Overall the lighthearted quick read was an excellent debut novel.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

In the first chapter, this book already had me hooked. I work in the cruise industry so this was right up my alley. And when Eliza was describing the pictures of her “roommate”, I knew what would happen next and I could not help but just giggle out loud.

I work in the cruise industry, so this book was right up my alley and kept me hooked throughout the entire thing. I will be completely forthcoming and say that love triangles typically upset me and is not my favorite trope, but because this was a cruise romance, I still picked it up because I just could not help myself.

The FMC was wishy-washy when it came to what she wanted and this led to a lot of 1) miscommunication throughout the story and 2) a lot of just general complaining from her, which made her a little unlikeable in some parts of the story.

Overall, the story was great, the plot was great, and the spice was great…..but the actual romance portion was just not my favorite. There was nothing wrong with it per se, just not my cup of tea. However, I still rated the book well, because it was an enjoyable read and kept me hooked through to the end of the book!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of the E-book in exchange for an honest review.

Eliza is on the run from a bad relationship, an fake friendship and one too many rejections in her theater career. What better way to do that then to travel the world as a crew member on a cruise ship that allows her put real life on pause for months at a time? She quickly makes friends with her fellow crew members and becomes a bit more than friends with a couple of the guys on board. But which will she choose? Life on board seems far better than life on land and with the encouragement from her new friends she is able to find the confidence to go after what she has always dreamed of, even if those dreams have changed a little along the way.

I am going to be completely honest in saying this was not a rating/review I expected to give for this book. A steamy love triangle rom-com set on a cruise ship? It sounds like just the lighthearted sexy read that I wanted on the surface. Unfortunately, I think my expectations were too high. Firstly, the formatting of this book seemed to be really off, as there would be complete sentences that didn't seem to fit or were in the wrong place. I was questioning several things throughout the book where I felt sentences were maybe skipped or omitted causing confusion. Secondly, this was presented as a steamy read and I don't think I would classify it as that at all. Maybe I am just jaded because I read a LOT of smut, but this one was not smut and the love scenes were few and far between, not to mention it was more of a slow burn.

I did however, love the characters in this book. There was great character development and lovable characters throughout the entire book.

Ok Bravo fans... this one's for you! Below Deck meets literary smut and I loved it! Is Eliza running away from her past or running towards her future, either way she better keep it together because there are only so many places to run on a cruise ship. Get your fans ready because this one is spicy!

#morethanshipmates #netgalley

If you watch the Below Deck Franchise this is a great book for you.

hilippa Young skillfully develops the characters of Sarah and Michael, portraying their individual strengths and vulnerabilities with depth and authenticity. Sarah's determination and resilience as she navigates the challenges of her career path are inspiring, while Michael's internal conflicts and personal growth add layers to his character.

More Than Shipmates was a cute, if far too long, romcom that had me giggling and swooning at the same time. It's not often you get a romance novel where the side cast are just as fun as the main characters but this was a great exception. I don't know that I'd call it a 'love triangle' as it's pretty evident from the get-go that Oscar is the actual MC and Tom is a friend.

The spice is great, I think it's well written and isn't overdone. The foreplay is a masterclass and Oscar should be hailed as the perfect blend of dominating without being an overbearing toxic prick.

The drama school situation felt a little forced at the end, but overall this was a great novel. I do think it could have been 150-200 pages shorter, but let's be real, I've read Den of Vipers and THAT is a tome.

This debut novel by Philippa Young is perfect for Below Deck fans! Yes, it is set on a cruise ship, not a mega yacht, but all the things we love at the show are featured in this book! I had never read a romance book set on a cruise ship, so I excited to read this one. Eliza is our main character and she is always falling short in relationships and life if general, but she gets an awesome job on a Caribbean cruise as their entertainment host. It's similar to the show, we get to read about Eliza's life on board, her coworkers, her job and some romance for sure! Nothing's better than a love triangle on the high seas. There's humor, romance, emotions and more all set on a floating city where you all live together, work together, form friendships and emotional connections.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

4 Missing Name Tag Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5

THIS IS NOT A WHY CHOOSE - which was the first very quick realisation I made and I was initially disappointed because I might have gone into this thinking it was RH and not Love Triangle, and I do not like Love Triangles...

Actually, I hate them - WHICH IS WHY THIS IS SUCH A SHOCKER because I was legitimately ADVOCATING to get my friends (who also dislike the Love Triangle trope) to give this a try because it was so much fun and the trope was done really well!

This book is a three-person POV following Eliza, Tom and Oscar (Harvey) but most of the book is spent in Eliza's perspective. She is running away from her life and problems in the UK for 6 months, while she joins a crew onboard a Carribean luxury cruise liner as part of the entertainment staff. There is nothing for her in England so she sets on this journey to find herself, with one rule -DO NOT MIX BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE! She will let nothing distract her from her goal of doing a good job, but soon finds not one, but two very pleasurable-looking distractions in the crew that will make her rule VERY HARD TO FOLLOW!

I am sure the advert she applied for read:
Wanted:
ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʀᴜɴ ᴀᴡᴀʏ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴀʟʟ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴛʀᴏᴜʙʟᴇ ᴀᴛ ʜᴏᴍᴇ?
ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴏᴛ ꜱɪɴɢʟᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴀʟᴇɴᴛᴇᴅ?
ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏᴍꜰᴏʀᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴘᴜᴛ ɪɴ ᴍᴜʟᴛɪᴘʟᴇ ꜱɪᴛᴜᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴀʟᴍᴏꜱᴛ ɴᴀᴋᴇᴅɴᴇꜱꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴏᴡᴏʀᴋᴇʀꜱ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴋɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴀ ᴄʀᴜɪꜱᴇ ꜱᴇᴇɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀꜰᴜʟ ᴄᴀʀʀɪʙᴇᴀɴ???
ᴡᴇʟʟ ᴀᴘᴘʟʏ ɴᴏᴡ!!!!!

The plot of this is very much Eliza figuring out who she would want to see herself with, with both men having their pros and cons for why they would be a good choice. I am glad that her choices led her to who she ended up with, as he was very much my frontrunner right from the start. For me, his relationship with Eliza had more substance and foundation than just overt sexual attraction. I loved how much he cared for her, looked out for her and noticed those little things. It was really sweet to see how each and every day he and she fell more in love with each other.

Eliza is very hard on herself, and her self-esteem and worth is basically shot to shit. Having been rejected by multiple drama schools for "not being good enough", with all of her English friends having moved on, becoming famous and leaving her behind, she feels very worthless and untalented, when the opposite is very much true. She is a BEACON of energy and light that everyone cannot help but be drawn into. She is fantastic with the guests as she has a hypnotizing likeability that makes everyone want to know her - which is perfect if your job is entertaining new strangers every week.

I liked that each guy, both Tom and Oscar had their own deep backstory to explain who they were and why they behaved like they did.
Tom is instantly likeable as he is very much the funny guy, being an amateur standup comedian he brings a lot of joy and laughter to the table, but underneath he is hiding his grief as he struggles with personal loss and how that has impacted his life.
Oscar is a reformed "bad boy", with the reputation of currently being the most "unfun" person due to how serious he is. But he has a fantastic quality of making Eliza see what she is good at and rebuild that lack of self-esteem while also giving her that safety of being spontaneous, while also allowing her to open up and get out of her comfort zone.

The one thing that I found annoying about Eliza's character is that she runs away from her problems. But this is very much an intentional annoyance placed on the reader as it is a theme of who she is and how she has to learn to overcome this issue. I think why it felt a little annoying is that it dragged on very long and occurred VERY OFTEN before she learnt to work through it. Every time that she had an issue with one of the boys, she tended to run away from that confrontation and shut them out. This would just lead to drama and no communication while she spirals on assumptions. She almost always leaves it up to the boys to push her into a literal corner and confront her before she would deal with it. I DIDN'T let this annoyance influence me toooooo much because you're not going to have perfect characters who learn everything in a book. The whole point I believe is to have realistic people, and I know for a fact that almost everybody chooses to run away from their problems instead of facing them head-on - even if we say the opposite!

Something to note is that even though this is a slow-burn romance - it takes a while for actual P in V action and a "relationship" to form, there is A LOT OF STEAM!!!! Imagine the type of vibes you would get for a bunch of horny "early adults" living in a coed dorm, with drinking allowed and almost everyone is single. Basically, every time there is alcohol in their system, someone is TAKING THEIR CLOTHES OFF... (Well maybe not fully). BUT there are rowdy games, and kissing, and touching and fondling in the dark. A literal STEAM FEST that will satisfy your little smut heart as it makes you feel like you're reading something really dirty and explicit but it's not fully there yet.

This also had a really sweet found family element to the story that given all the hardship and trauma these three main characters experienced prior to the start of this book, was sweet to see how they managed to find a family in their friends aboard the ship.

Other small little things I liked about the book:
✤ All the Pop Culture References
✤ The whole "Cloud 9"-Amy name tag thing where Oscar doesn't have his actual name on his tag
✤ ALLL THE SHOW TUNES and Musical Theatre References

The Tropes ▶ and Micro Tropes ▷ that can be found in this:
▶ Love Triangle
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Workplace Romance
▶ Slow Burn
▷ Good Girl
▷ Mine
▷ It Won't Fit
▷ Forehead Kisses
▷ Public Sex
▷ View is Amazing (While he looks at her)
▷ Lift your Hips for me
▷ Surnames for Nicknames

Overall, this was FUN - and made me rethink that I might not hate Love Triangles AFTERALL!!!!!

Thank you to Phillippa Young and Netgalley for my gifted copy!
All thoughts and opinions are my own.