I got about 42% in when I decided to DNF. I know that this book will be loved by others but it just isn’t for me. I was getting frustrated with the characters and could not move past them. I do want to continue this book some other time, but for now I am just going to move on from it.

A spicy workplace romance! I enjoyed this book and it had the tropes I love! I did find myself blushing and giggling along with this book!

MORE THAN SHIPMATES 🛳️


I don’t know what this book was supposed to do.. but the beginning . wasn’t it. I just I wasn’t turned on… I didn’t wanna keep reading.. I was uncomfortable?.. 124 pages in and I just felt myself making scrunch grossed out faces.. when I’m all for smut fun romance books but I don’t t know what it was about this book but…
I’m not sure how I felt about this orgy party boat crew thing that happened??… idk not it..
The scavenger hunt??? So awkward.. for staff members on a cruise ship?… I just wasn’t ready for expecting that…

When she finally started to chose the one and focus on that that’s where this book really started to turn around. I enjoyed it a lot more enjoyed the storyline and I’m more excited now to know that somebody else is the main character for book 2. I loved Oscar from the beginning and you wanted him the moment you saw him on the page. Tom was gross. And my biggest pet peeve was him telling her he loved her after fooling around with half the boat. I’m sorry what?… that boy is delulu✨
I can’t wait for a book 2 and have Tom meet his match

More Than Shipmates - ARC Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
🌶️🌶️.5
Out Now!

First I’d like to thank @netgalley and @philippayoungauthor for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

𝚀𝚞𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝚂𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢
Eliza feels like a failure with nothing left at home for her. After getting rejected from drama school again and again, she applies and get accepted to be on the entertainment team of a cruise line! Swearing off of romance after her ex cheated on her, she joins her swarm of horny shiplocked co-workers…lets see how long her pledge for celibacy lasts. 😉

𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝
This book was exactly the fluffy + spicy book that I needed. I’m usually not one for a love triangle, but I appreciated the self-growth that Eliza, Oscar, and Tom all went through as a result.

It also felt a lot more realistic - a bunch of extroverted people in their 20s trapped on a cruise together. As someone who did Semester at Sea and lived on a ship for 4 months - while it may not have been as wild, having multiple shipmances was totally common.
Oscar was the perfect soft dom, and is now up there with some of my favorite book boyfriends.

Also, the consent in this book!!! Immaculate! For a book that included sex game parties - the consent was awesome between the two MMCs and the FMC.

The ½ star off I think was just because of the miscommunication, and in some cases the extra details of their work on the ship felt a little muddled.
Overall, I 100% recommend this if you need that fluffy spicy read that makes you feel all tingly and ooey gooey on the inside.

CW: Soft Dom, Miscommunication (due to mental health, addressed well), Love-Triangle, Self-Loathing

A interesting book if a bit long. The romance was very cute and there was lots of good moments between the characters. Working on the ship was a cool and diffrent setting for a romance book and created some good moments in the story.

This was a cute, fun rom com with the right amount of spice! The FMC had so many ups and downs that sometimes I had a hard time following who she was mad at or why, but I still really enjoyed reading and I'm looking forward to reading the next one in the series! Thank you to NetGalley for my digital copy!!

1st person multiple POV
Love triangle
Forced proximity workplace/holiday romance
Slow burn
Sexy consent & spicy scenes
HEA
1st in a series (2nd available to purchase/borrow via KU)
Bonus scene link at end of book - SUPER GRATEFUL FOR!

Well written, laugh out loud funny & I thoroughly enjoyed every page. I highlighted so much.
I will be recommending this book to everyone who will listen. Excited also to read the 2nd in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Philippa Young for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Eliza Chapman, perpetually feeling inadequate, embarks on a new adventure as an entertainment host on a Caribbean cruise, determined to avoid past mistakes of mixing work with romance. Despite swearing off men, the lines blur between colleagues and crushes amid scandalous nightlife. Eliza faces temptation from cheeky American Tom and charming Brit Oscar, challenging her resolve.

I haven't been so glued to a book in a long time; I read every spare minute because something was always happening. Despite the steamy parts, I like how they explain what's happening on the ship, what they all have to do. Eliza annoyed me at times because she had moments where she cried over every little thing and didn't make smart decisions. The love triangle is interesting, and it makes sense how much she debated because Tom and Oscar seem very appealing. From the beginning of the book, I was definitely rooting for Oscar. What attracted me the most was how the characters develop throughout the book, each in their own way, each of them having a troubled past they don't want to revisit. Definitely recommend this book, perfect for summer, great to read on the beach even though it will heat you up even more. I'm starting to read the next in the series soon, although both can be standalone books.

Honestly I thought this was going to be a MFM romance but I was wrong and I’m totally okay with it because 😍❗️ Who she ends up with has my heart currently. I love the internal battle she had to not get involved with anyone she works with, and then proceeds to ignore her inner conscience 🤣 because girl I would do the same thing. I definitely recommend this read! I’ll end my review with a quote “New fantasy unlocked.”
because honestly Eliza, SAME 😌

I thought this books was great! I really enjoyed the tropes, as well as the character development! Her characters are so realistic and lovable, and I didn’t want to put it down!

I thought this book was really fun and really spicy without being “cringe“. I thought this was the perfect summer book and had me daydreaming of vacations. This is a light, easy to read summer book. I would definitely recommend to others.

I’m really surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. As a huge Bravo Below Deck fan the series name and cover grabbed me from the start and I was a bit disappointed that it turned out to be set on a cruise ship and not a yacht. The Broadway aspect pulled me back in though and the characters. The characters were sharp and funny and the ship drama kept me hooked. And the 🌶️ was so good. I can’t wait to read the next in the series.

I was really excited to receive this book as an ARC because one of my personal goals was to read new themes to me and I've never read a romance that takes place on a cruise ship - total Below Deck vibes if anyone is a fan of Bravo! I think that's why I enjoyed this book so much because it reminded me of that and I love the drama on that show, it's very entertaining - as was this book! I liked all of the characters, their developments, and the why choose romance! Both MMC's were easy to like and root for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Summer Stars Publishing for the opportunity to read the ARC of More Than Shipmates by Philippa Young.

4.5 ⭐

The beginning of this book gave me Wildfire by Hannah Grace vibes, which was incredible because it's one of my favourite books of all time! So, I was really looking forward to knowing everything about this story. The fact that this romance was placed on a cruise ship fascinated me because I’d never read anything like this before 🛳

During the book's first chapters, we are involved with the suspense to get to know what happened to Eliza in the past and once we get to know it, we want to punch everyone in the face for making her heart broken in the first place. During the storyline, we get to know all the characters and it was super nice to meet every one of them. At some point, I wanted to be part of the team! 💛

👱🏻‍♀️ Eliza felt that she had nothing left for her at home, in England, so she wanted something different (and to see the world). What’s better than working as an entertainment host on a Caribbean cruise ship? She can start over her life and become what she wants. But she is still stuck in the middle of the choice of what she wants to be. I thought she was so mature in some ways during the storyline. She was so hurt before and she was learning how to trust again and how to conquer her self-esteem back.

👦🏼 Oscar is Eliza’s supervisor and he is a sweetheart, a gentleman, and a man (well) written by a woman. He is everything a girl could wish for and even more. Even though in his past he was a party animal, now he wants to improve and become a better version of himself. Oscar was an actor back at home, in England.

👦🏻 Tom is a stand-up comedian wannabe and so he is a very funny and compassionate guy. He is also a sweetheart, although he did some questionable things during the book, which made me like him less (sorry, #TeamOscar over here 🙋🏻‍♀). He is a good friend and super understanding. Tom always tries to comfort everyone around him.

🌞 I loved to see all 3 POVs because we could get to know them even better and realize all their struggles and all their achievements. It was so nice to meet them all! Also, I was so glad about the ending since I really hoped for this to happen 🌊

The sexual parts are just 🥵🥵🥵 so just do me a favour and read this book! I'm excited to start the second of this series so bad!

I loved the writing and I can’t believe that it’s Philippa’s debut novel! I became a fan of her! The only con about this book was that the chapters were too long when I, personally, prefer the shorter ones. Please go read this book, it's perfect for the summer days ahead 👒✌🏻

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘓𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

More Than Shipmates was such a fun "dive" into the world of cruise ship employees! I applaud Young in creating a realistic yet wildly unique setting for this romantic comedy, as well as incorporating a wide variety of people into Eliza's "found family". I can absolutely see how the series will continue with other goofballs that we've come to love!

The inner monologue and decisions of the characters made sense for their respective traumas, as well as their individual paths through life. While Eliza could have been unlikable to some, I think this was a great portrayal of a young adult with severe trust issues. Both with Eliza and with the other two POV's, there was also a surprising amount of depth and backstory.

This was so much fun and I really had a hard time putting it down! Many thanks to Philippa Young and NetGalley for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 Stars ! Honestly I was so absorbed in this book I finished it so fast.
Love triangle, work place romance and spice. LOVE LOVE LOVE. 3 POV switching between Eliza, Oscar and Tom.

I loved the characters and felt like I really got to know them during the book. I was rooting for Oscar from the start and I was on edge reading this to find out who she ended up with. I loved reading Eliza’s relationship with the both of them and the banter included in their friendships was well written. I do love a bit of spice and Philippa wrote it well, it was just the right amount so that there was still a plot and storyline to enjoy but with added spice in parts.

Do I wish I was currently on a cruise ship after reading this ? Yes, I do !

As a former crew member on a cruise ship - I absolutely had a BLAST reading this book. So much was accurate about ship life (with a few exaggerations 🤣). This is such a fun read for anyone wanting a fast paced, super spicy, love triangle set on the high seas! Perfect for a summer read - especially if you’re about to set sail! ;)

3⭐️
1.5🌶️

Reading More Than Shipmates was like trying to navigate a ship through a storm of confusion. One minute, a character is drowning in grief, and the next, they're playing a drunken game of spin the bottle. These sudden changes gave me whiplash and made it hard to follow the story or connect with the characters.

These characters dealt with enough angst to fill a soap opera marathon. From emotionally abusive families and grief over a dead relative to feeling left out of the high school friend group and breaking up with a perfectly faithful boyfriend because they felt unworthy. It’s like they all went to Angst University and majored in Drama.

The book tries to tackle serious issues like fear of failure, feeling lost, loving more than one person, and dealing with a cheating boyfriend. But it skims over these topics faster than a speedboat. Because of this, it’s hard to care about the characters or what happens to them. The story feels more like a series of dramatic Instagram stories than a cohesive tale.

And let's talk about that love triangle. Usually, I avoid love triangles like the plague, but this one was especially baffling. Tom barely registers as a love interest, yet whenever we peek into his thoughts, he's so head-over-heels you'd think they were already married. Meanwhile, Eliza only considers Tom when she’s had enough of Oscar. If you define a love triangle as three people who have briefly considered a romantic interest in each other, then this might be right up your alley.

At over 500 pages, this book felt like a marathon. I spent two and a half days reading it, which is way longer than I usually spend on a book. Despite its length, it doesn’t give enough detail to make the story or characters interesting. It rushes through events without giving readers time to understand or care about them.

The ending was the cherry on top of this confusing sundae. After all the ups and downs, the main character just leaves the ship. No reunion with her family, no resolution. Just...gone. This abrupt ending was more disappointing than a soggy sandwich.

In conclusion, More Than Shipmates had the potential to be a good story about complex relationships and personal struggles. But it ended up feeling like a messy and unsatisfying read. The quick jumps between events, lack of detail, and abrupt ending made it a frustrating experience. While it touches on important topics, it doesn’t do so in a way that feels complete or meaningful.

On the bright side, the nautical vibes were on point. Ship life seems like something everyone needs to experience once. I'd never read a book with characters working on a cruise ship, so I loved that aspect. The camaraderie between Eliza and her friends, the parties, events, and games they played together were a lot of fun. That scavenger hunt? Burned into my mind. If only the rest of the book had been as enjoyable as those moments.

Thank you to NetGalley and Summer Stars Publishing for the opportunity to read the ARC of More Than Shipmates. Eliza is running from past drama of a cheating boyfriend and failures of not getting into drama school. So she sets off on a ship to work for the next 6 months. Creating a way for herself, she meets Tom, who is also a new hire for the cruise line and also has skeletons in his closet and feelings for the new girl. Her trainer Harvey (Oscar) is a changed bad boy gone good, until he realizes his feelings for Eliza 😉. This love triangle was a refreshing read from my usual romantacy. Also, who doesn’t love reading about what happens on cruise ships?! The banter in this story is what makes it so funny. I giggled so much throughout this book. The steam is steamy as well 🌶️

Tropes:
Love Triangle
MM, MF, LGBTQ
Found Family
Close Proximity
Third Act Breakup

Title: More Than Shipmates by Philippa Young

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Stars

Release date: June 1st 2024

This story revolves around Eliza Chapman, who has always felt like she’s never been good enough—not for drama school, not for a boyfriend, and certainly not for her insufferable brother’s approval. Determined to turn her life around, Eliza embarks on a six-month stint as an entertainment host on a Caribbean cruise. Interesting setting right? Dream job!

Swearing off men and romance to avoid past mistakes, she focuses on the ship's motto: “work hard, play hard.” Nothing wrong ever comes out of this…..*sarcasm*

However, resisting temptation proves challenging when cheeky American Tom and charming Brit Oscar enter the picture, blurring the lines between colleagues and crushes.

What I Loved:

* Entertaining Setting: The vibrant, dynamic setting of a Caribbean cruise adds a refreshing and exciting backdrop to the story. The idea of working and living on a ship with endless entertainment and nightlife possibilities was engaging and fun to read about. I don't know what it is about a romance on a cruise ship, add in the workplace trope and I'm a goner!

* Light and Easy Read: Philippa Young’s writing is smooth and easy to follow, making this book a perfect choice for a relaxing, enjoyable read. The pacing was just right, keeping me hooked from start to finish without feeling too heavy.

* Romantic Comedy: The book is filled with humour and light-hearted moments that balance out the romantic tension. The cheeky banter and playful interactions between characters had me smiling throughout.

* Relatable Protagonist: Eliza’s journey of self-discovery and determination to improve her life was both inspiring and relatable. Her struggles and triumphs felt genuine, making her a character I rooted for and easy to relate to and understand.

* Love Triangle Dynamics: While I’m usually not a fan of love triangles (in very rare cases I may add), this one was done in a fun and engaging way. The tension between Tom and Oscar added excitement and kept me guessing about who Eliza would ultimately choose.

* Steamy Romance: The romantic scenes were steamy and well-written, adding spice to the story without overpowering the plot. The chemistry between Eliza and her love interests was palpable. Even though I only truly rooted for the one, which thankfully was the one she ended up with in the end.

More Than Shipmates by Philippa Young is a delightful, tension-filled romantic comedy set against the exciting backdrop of a Caribbean cruise. With a relatable protagonist, steamy romance, and an engaging setting, this book is a fun, light read perfect for anyone looking for a bit of romance and humour. Highly recommended for fans of romantic comedies and feel-good love stories!

Thank you to The Publisher Summer Stars Publishing ,The Author Philippa Young & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.