While this book just wasn't for me, I think if you are into the reality show Below Deck or have an interest in what happens on yachts or super yachts you would really enjoy this book. From the beginning even though the new boat owner said there would be no fraternization among the employees, you could tell that is all that the book was going to be about especially with the new mysterious hottie on board helping out. It sure was all about that and I would have appreciated more back story on all the employees and less drama.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the arc.

“Falling Overboard” by Sariah Wilson is forbidden romance book.
I received an advance reader copy from Montlake via Netgalley. Opinions from this review are completely my own.
Release date is 18 March 2025

Lucky is a chief stewardess on a superyacht cruising the Mediterranean, but her dream is to own a bakery. Hunter is the new deckhand sharing her cabin.
The issue is that relationships between the crew members are prohibited.
I think that the job of the characters is interesting and the fact that Lucky was responsible for the mistakes that others made was relatable. The forbidden part of the romance did not stop the feelings that had from the start to grow.
Hunter was so cute and funny. The nautical puns made me laugh a lot. There is also mental health representation in the book as Lucky has panic attacks and Hunter ADHD. I like that they helped each other in need.
The romance was closed door with some heat. There are some crazy situations with some of the passengers.
Overall this was an enjoyable read.

This was a good one! I couldn’t put it down. The writing was fun, and engaging. Characters were well developed and lovable.

* I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. perfect beach read,

The perfect fun read during my beach vacation. Fans of Below Deck will enjoy this book as it takes place around a super-yacht crew. This is my first book from Sariah Wilson but I look forward to finding more.

Such a cute book. I love cruising so thought a book based on a boat would be fun to read. Lucky is working aboard a yacht as crew member. The owner of the boat has a rule, no dating other crew! Easy for Lucky, until a new crewmember Hunter joins and becomes her roommate. Their attraction to each other is difficult to hide. Hunter had another secret as well. Fun and enjoyable read!

This forbidden romance was a delightful read! These two are aboard the ship together and the main rule is there be no romantic involvement between members. Neither are looking for love, but find an irresistible attraction nonetheless.

cute but a little too predictable. i love a slow burn, but i felt like it was a little too dragged out because it was also a little too insta-love. an enjoyable read and i loved the setting, but i felt like it could have been condensed some.

This book was not for me. I found the insta ”love” a little hard to belive and the constant lusting after each other in both POVs was annoying. And the book was generally too predictable.

This book may be for you if you enjoy forced proximity, luxury yachts and exotic locations.

this was definitely a fun read, i think i would have enjoyed it a bit better as an audio book though!! the overall idea of this book was amazing, i think that this genre severely lacks women being stuck on a boat with a hot forbidden man 🤭

however i wasnt the biggest fan of the execution. this was my first book of sariah’s so maybe i just went into this one hoping for something that isnt this authors forte.. im not sure.

i absolutely plan to give their books another try in the future and maybe even this one again in audio format!!

I really enjoyed reading this book! It was a quick read filled with drama, forced proximity, and a no fraternizing rule. I enjoyed every minute of it! I loved the dual POVs so you never had to guess what the other was thinking. Lucky was such a relatable character and I loved the growth she went through over the course of the book. Hunter was the sweetest and by far my favorite character in this book!!

A huge thank you to Montlake for the advanced copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

4.5 🌟

Thank you Montlake and NetGalley for my ARC.

This book was cuuuuuute. The slowest (!) of slow burns, puns out the wazoo, and the swooniest MMC. It was a little cheesy and a lot heartfelt. I loved the charter yacht setting and was thankfully Below Deck primed me enough that I could jump right in.

I really enjoy Sariah Wilson’s books and this was no exception!

SPOILER(ish): I hate Emilie with a burning passion and she did not receive the punishment she deserved!!

Lucky works as a stewardess on a superyacht. While the job isn't always as glamourous as it would seem, it pays very well and will allow her to reopen her grandmother's bakery within a few years. When the new owners instate a new rule against romantic relationships among the crew, Lucky thinks she'll have no problem following it. But that was before Hunter joined the crew. He's handsome, funny, and kind. And he's sharing her cabin. Will she be able to resist him?

Read if you like:
-Nautical Puns
-Forbidden Romance
-He Falls First
-Slow Burn
-Grand Gestures
-Mental Health Rep

Falling Overboard was so fun! Between the crew and the crazy passengers, there were so many hijinks and crazy stories. This was a rom com with a lot of heart. And the slow burn was exquisite. The chemistry between Lucky and Hunter had me waiting for him to tip over that line from friends to lovers. Definitely a fun read. Something I'd recommend for a vacation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for this ARC.

Lucky, 24, works on a superyacht in the Mediterranean as chief stew. She wants to open her own bakery as a tribute to her Italian nonna, and life on board is well-paid. Hunter, 25, is a deckhand, but also secretly the son of the yacht owner. They both fall in insta-lust but a new rule forbids fraternisation between crew members so they have to throw longing looks a lot, talk in innuendos and sneak around. It's made worse by the forced proximity trope - of course the only bed left available for Hunter is the bunk bed in Lucky's cabin.

I thought the ship setting would provide interesting and funny stories but it's all about annoying guests, annoying colleagues like lazy Emilie, and pages and pages of dialogue about their attraction, without much going on. There was just too much innuendo.

Also, Lucky has only got her two sisters left but they both just use her as a cash cow, which is giving Cinderella vibes. I found that very frustrating, because if you can deal with life at sea and sexist men why can't you tell your adult sisters to stop exploiting you?

There is so much repressed lust, I thought someone might burst a blood vessel or have a heart attack. At one point Hunter says: "It was like locking a kid in a candy store and telling him he couldn’t have any of it." You don't talk about a woman like that! I didn't like Hunter very much - he acted very jealous from the outset and was a bit of a Neanderthal. A rich one who was sent onboard as a test for his parents to see whether he could last six months in a proper job. He didn't feel like a serious person, with the constant flirting, shirt off and nautical puns.

The story is told in dual POV - I would have preferred just Lucky's POV. Sariah Wilson is a very popular American author, but this didn't grab me. It just felt shallow and predictable and without relatable characters. And yes, there were problems like Lucky's anxiety and her childhood referenced, but it seems all the rage these days to give the MCs some sort of childhood trauma to make the story deeper. In reality, this added nothing. Read it if you like "banter".

Cute and predictable, this was so many tropes all in one.

-forced proximity, Cinderella, forbidden love, I could go on and on…

It’s on a boat (superyacht) - and good girl, follows the rules Lucky Salerno has just been promoted to Head Steward(ess) by Captn Carl ahead of a busy yachting schedule for their new bosses. His biggest rule - keep an eye on his badly behaved niece. New deckhand, Hunter, complicates that immediately…and maybe she likes it.

I really enjoyed this one. Fun setting and likable characters. I like that Ms. Wilson gives her characters unique jobs and fun storylines. The romance was fun and kept me engaged. Overall, a fun escape and swoony romance!

I enjoyed this one. The setting was something I have no experience in, so I don't have any opinion on its authenticity, but it definitely made it more fun to read. The dual POV is always one I enjoy. Overall, a quick, easy read that was enjoyable and light.

Falling Overboard by Sariah Wilson is a light, escapist romance set against the picturesque backdrop of the Mediterranean. The forbidden love between Lucky, a hardworking chief stewardess with bakery dreams, and Hunter, the mysterious new deckhand, offers plenty of sparks and tension, but the story ultimately felt a bit predictable.

The setting aboard a luxurious superyacht was beautifully described and added a sense of adventure, making it easy to imagine the sun-soaked Mediterranean views. Lucky and Hunter’s witty banter and chemistry were enjoyable, but their romance developed quickly, leaving little time to explore their connection in greater depth.

The book’s central conflict—balancing career aspirations with personal desires—was relatable, but some of the plot twists felt rushed and a little too convenient. I also would have liked more depth to Hunter’s backstory, as the mystery surrounding him was intriguing but underexplored.

Overall, Falling Overboard is a fun, breezy read for fans of forbidden romance and stunning settings. While it didn’t completely sweep me off my feet, it’s an enjoyable escape for readers looking for a love story with a touch of Mediterranean charm.

This is what I am looking for in a romance novel- slow burn, playful banter, tender and thoughtful moments and seeing the person for who they are, flaws and all, and loving them fiercely ❤️ Add to this that they’re on a yacht in the Mediterranean and you can’t help but have a good time!

The writing was funny, scenes were set up beautifully and I was kicking my feet throughout reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the e-ARC!

I always read Sariah Wilson's books and this was another great one! It was a fun romance with a HEA. I also learned a lot about what it's like to be an employee on a super yacht and thought that the story of Lucky and Hunter was so swoony and romantic.