Young managed to hook me in with this love triangle rom com, though I would say it became less of a love triangle as time went on and I was rooting for one of them to win to be honest. I'm not sure how much of it is accurate for ship life but I enjoyed the setting of a cruise ship and the busy reality of being a host on one of them.

I liked how Eliza was trying to follow her dreams but finding it hard to commit to jobs/people, and that she really lacked confidence in herself too as I felt her grow as time went on. The triple perspective was easy to follow, though at times I felt it could have been a little more cohesive as it moved forward or back in time occasionally.

Thank you for providing me with an e ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars!

This book was really cute. I was instantly transported to the life of a cruise ship, and it was a really interesting plot that hooked me from the first page.

The relationship between Oscar/Eliza/Tom was complicated, but I’m happy with how everything turned out!

The reasoning for my rating, I feel like some things didn’t pan out entirely. Such as the timetable, it seemed like time was flying but we weren’t aware of it until later. Also, I feel like the conflict always got resolved very easily, there wasn’t much groveling or explaining done.

Overall, this book was super cute and I’ll definitely read the next book!

NEED.MORE.NOW!

I am shocked this is a debut novel. This story was fantastic!! I laughed so hard throughout this entire story, I could not get enough.

I can't wait to read more by Philippa Young.

Review posted to Goodreads and Amazon.

Overall I liked the book because I’m a fan of spicy romance and the love triangle was fun to read! But one thing that kept me not overly excited was the fact that the book was so long and I lost interest in between.

This book definitely exceeded my expectations. Every character was loveable and endearing and there wasn't a single character who didn't add to the plot.
Following Eliza on her journey of picking herself back up after continuous rejection in both her personal life and career was both wholesome and entertaining.
The love interests were both unique, funny and had depth to their personalities and backstories. In the first half I found myself split between which one I wanted her to end up with.
I loved the setting of the cruise ship and the games they played were *chefs kiss* excellent. They made this book so much more enjoyable.
It is just an easy fun read and the tension and care between Eliza and both tom and Oscar was swoon worthy.
Definitely would recommend to lovers of romantic comedies and can't wait to read the next one.

This was such a fun story to read. There were a couple of times where it felt like the story dragged a little bit, but overall I enjoyed this book!

Being stuck on a cruise with two men you’re sleeping with and both are your coworkers isn’t ideal and I feel that this book definitely captures that. While I love a spicy romance, and this was definitely that, this one felt too long and with too little substance to satisfy me as a reader. This was the first love triangle book I’ve read and that trope wasn’t as appealing to me as I had hoped. I also felt like a lot of the relationships were a bit shallow and the big emotions were quickly skimmed over by the author. I’m also just overall not a fan of multiple POVs as it can get a bit confusing and it did for me in this book. It wasn’t bad per se, just not for me.

i wanna start with appreciating the author on starting her career with this marvellous novel!
this book was the first book i’ve ever read which is based on ocean and ships, and man now i wanna read more in this genre!
i found myself relating with eliza at almost all the parts of the books the loneliness she felt creeping, being a third wheel, being left out, seeing herself as a failure, i’ve felt it all,
eliza, babe, i love you, i get what you’re feeling, and to be honest people like us are better alone!
now, the book represented a workplace - love Triangle - romance, while i’ve read these tropes seperately, but never together, i had huge hopes. i’m satisfied to say that the hopes i had were accomplished,
i loved how oscar and tom were protective over her which is what she deserves truly.
and most importantly, i loved the crew! the talents showcasing and the friendship, i loved that so much.
hats off to you, can’t wait to read more of your work

I really enjoyed the back and forth during this book. The love triangle between the characters was expected and I am happy with the way it ended between them! I also love how their separate stories played out and how the characters grew during the story!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC to read in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this debut book by the author!! This is the kind of book you can easily read by the pool and have a few laughs at. It’s lighthearted, fun, and at the same time cozy in its own way. I loved and could relate to Eliza’s character so much.

This book was the perfect steamy read if you are a fan of below deck and love triangles!

I genuinely had a ton of fun reading and am interested to see how the second will play out!

Love triangles definitely are not my favorite trope but all in all, a very cute book 🤍

I loved this love triangle debut from Philippa Young.
Eliza is starting her first stint as an Entertainment Host on a Cruise Ship. On her first day she meets Tom, another newbie that she clicks with instantly and Oscar (Harvey) who she's meets whilst stripping in his cabin.
Hijinks ensue as cruise employment life involves a lot of fun and games (many of which are clothing optional).
Its a roller-coaster ride of which guy will be the one to fully capture her heart.
What's great about the story (other then the spicy-ness) is that we get PO from all 3 characters. I love the growth all of them have throughout the book whilst they deal with demons from their past.
Such a fun spicy romance and I can't wait to read the next one.

I LOVED this book! It introduced a new to me author I will continue to look out for :) I will be getting book 2 on kindle unlimited!
I loved how fun the characters were, the banter and humor kept me engaged the whole time. The spice was a pleasant bonus! I feel like I wish this was a "why choose" romance because I couldn't choose who I loved more, Oscar or Tom!

I don't really know how to write this review tbh.
I wanted to like this book so so bad but it just didn't want to cooperate.
I thought about DNFing at 25% but I really wanted to give it a chance.

Let's do a bullet point review for this one :
- The main characters were cute
- I liked the cruise setting ; though I think we could've done without the details for each activity
- This book was way too long ; there was too many details about things that didn't really further the plot + too many side characters
- It felt like the story was fast paced, but in reality, the plot moved so so, so slowly (if that makes sense?)
- It didn't feel like a real love triangle ; the conflits and resolutions were way too easy for me. I needed more drama and more pining
- Considering the Erotica label on NetGalley, I thought there would be way more spice

- POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT!!!!!
(I don't know if it's a me problem, but I feel like I was baited into thinking there would be sword crossing, and I kept reading in hopes it would turn poly until the very last page and it didn't and I was devastated)

END OF SPOILERS

In conclusion, this book wasn't for me considering the expectations I had of it. But it is still a cute and fun summer romance if you want to give it a go!

Thank you NetGalley, Summer Stars Publishing and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this ARC because my parents met and fell in love on cruise ships. I’ve grown up hearing the stories, and as I’ve gotten older I’ve heard more about the raunchier adventures that cruising brought along. This book showcased what they told me in every way, and the attachment I feel towards the characters is incredible. The flow of the story was effortless, and so intriguing to read as it took place over so many months. Each characters journey with themselves and their lives on the ship was fascinating and the SPICE!!!!!!! The spice was everythingggggg!! This book truly mixed fun and important life lessons in a way that was unique and so so pleasing to read. I’m also 100000% more sure that I need to go live out my cruise ship employee era ASAP!

More Than Shipmates" by Philippa Young is an entertaining escape set on a Caribbean cruise. The story follows Eliza Chapman, who takes a job as an entertainment host on a cruise ship and vows to avoid workplace romance. However, her plans are quickly derailed when she meets Tom and Oscar, leading to a charming love triangle.

Philippa Young does a fantastic job capturing the cruise ship atmosphere, making you feel like you’re right there with the characters. The romance is lighthearted and fun, with plenty of flirty moments and humor.

If you’re looking for a breezy, romantic read perfect for a summer day, "More Than Shipmates" is a great choice. It's a delightful mix of humor, romance, and self-discovery that will keep you hooked.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this amazing book. This review has also been posted on Goodreads and StoryGraph.

This was a fun, summer read! I loved the setting of a cruise ship! A modern day Love Boat, if you will! I enjoyed the found family, close proximity, and love triangle tropes! So glad there is another book in the series to continue the fun!

This book was just alright. Way too long in my opinion. The story was good but so much of the book was just fluff! Eliza was the worst! Also the love triangle bit was drawn out and not necessary. That being said I didn't hate the book and would read the 2nd one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s hard to put into words what I felt reading this book. There were lots of things I liked and then lots of things that rubbed me the wrong way. It had a strong start and I was really optimistic it would be fabulous. It ended up being only okay and partly because of how some of the conflicts were written.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

I had no idea what to expect going into this read, and I was not disappointed. I am normally not super interested in love triangles but this one was so entertaining and kept me on my toes. It was full of witty banter and funny moments that kept me engaged the whole time. The chemistry between all the characters was so well-written and I could not figure out who I wanted Eliza to end up with! I also really enjoyed three pov's. I love being able to see everyone's thoughts and this book did it so well. It was full of self-discovery and I've never been on a cruise but this book made me want to go on one ASAP. This book was well-written and every chapter kept me wanting to read more.
This was such a perfect rom-com and one that anyone on or off a cruise would enjoy reading!