Ore, a freelance journalist, is determined to build the career she wants. When she’s contracted to write a puff piece on billionaire Chuck Regas, she boards his yacht for two weeks of sailing. But a last-minute crew change brings in Captain Daniel Wilsons, who has one goal—complete his six-week assignment and move on.

As the days pass, tension builds between Ore and Daniel, and secrets about the crew, guests, and the billionaire owner begin to surface.

The romance felt natural—sometimes love stories feel rushed, but this one developed in a way that made sense. Ore and Daniel knew they were attracted to each other, but the story didn’t force them into an unrealistic whirlwind romance. One of the highlights was the banter between Ore and Daniel—it was sharp, fun, and started even before the romance truly kicked in.

The story also does a great job of building relationships beyond the main couple. We get to see Ore and Daniel interact with the crew, which makes the world feel fuller.

There are one or two spicy scenes, but nothing too explicit or kinky—I’d rate it about 2/5 spice. The intrigue surrounding the crew’s secrets also kept things interesting without overshadowing the romance.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would give it 4/5 stars!

At around page 90 the book piked my interest more.
Can’t stand vicky she’s a bit much … yeah okay ore is a journalist and there for snooping but if you really cared about the injustice that happened to your former colleague, Annie, then why won’t you speak to someone who could potentially bring justice for Annie ? I feel like she’s not REALLY bothered by what happened to Annie.
I’ve finished the book and oddly I only really almost enjoyed the last 100 pages… by day five I was very concerned for Ore‘s life and safety.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

⚓️ Hooked On You ⚓️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is an arc review and this book releases May 10th.

Hooked on You is a delightful contemporary romcom set on a luxury yacht. This follows Ore, an aspiring investigative journalist, tasked with writing an exposé on elusive billionaire Harrison. To do so, she must spend two weeks aboard his yacht and gain the trust and opinions of the crew. Meanwhile, Daniel, the yacht's captain, is determined to keep his crew focused and professional, despite the presence of the charming and determined Ore. As the two spend time together sparks fly, and they find themselves drawn to each other in unexpected ways.

This is a perfect, summer contemporary romance - below deck in romantic book form, bravo fans unite! I loved the banter and humour in this and it had the perfect balance of mystery and romance to keep me literally hooked (line and sinker). The tropes include grumpy x sunshine, workplace romance and enemies to lovers plus it’s in dual POV! Honestly it was sunshine in book form, definitely one to grab as a summer beach read.

This was okay. I don't necessarily believe that they love each other that fast. They don't really know that much about each other besides whats happening right then on the boat. It's not a bad book and I'm sure it will find its audience.

I received an arc through netgalley.

2/5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the ARC of this book.

The story had a lot of potential but unfortunately this one just did not land for me. On top of being very insta-lovey, all the characters only had surface level development and very little chemistry. The only interactions that I actually found interesting were between Ore, Mel and Agatha. Everyone else was just kind of bland.

I am always so excited to read books with diverse representation and authors I haven't read yet, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity of checking this one out. I wish I felt as connected to this story as I wanted to be...

The main female character felt really hard to understand and like within the first few chapters - it didn't hook me and didn't make me root for her. I wasn't particularly interested in her story or her journey to achieving her goals and dreams at her job.

While I'm sure that there are many other readers that will love this one, unfortunately, it just wasn't for me.

such a lovely book. i really enjoyed this romance which felt at its core so much more than i thought it would be. it was built and explored and they both learn from each other and for each other. there was a respect and warmth to them. it was honest and deep and i really really loved there falling for each other.
but of course at the start they dont really appear to be on the same side. Ore wants her scoop. and to do so she needs to set saild on a billionaires yacht and interview the a powerful CEO. easy right. but that would be easy there wasnt clearly something going on behind the bosses rich facades. and just how deep and dangerous is Ore willing to get. and when after being on the boat and snooping around, will it stop being her choice as to how involved she is?
we also have Daniel. who is in the way. in far to complicated reasons. because hes something more than the captain. hes someone she is really starting to think of more. too much. too too much.
Daniel also has his first agender to being on the ship. hes got to nail this trip. hes worked his way up to being captain and this is the last run of the ladder to success. but he didnt plan on meeting Ore. and he certainly didnt plan on his mind wandering more to her than his career. what does he do now? can he let her in? should he? and what happens when they all get mixed up in the shady goings on with the boss.

This is a captivating blend of romance and mystery set aboard a luxurious yacht. Ore, a determined journalist, is on the verge of landing her dream job at The New Yorker—but first, she must write a profile on a powerful CEO. To do so, she embarks on his yacht, intending to interview the crew and guests. However, as she digs deeper, she realizes something is off about the CEO and his associates, turning what was supposed to be a simple profile into a much more dangerous investigation.

At the heart of the story is Ore’s unexpected connection with Daniel, the yacht’s captain, who has always lived by careful planning—until she disrupts his world. Their romance is built on more than just attraction; they share values and mutual respect, making their relationship feel organic and refreshing. While some side characters, like Carlos, the yacht’s chef, add charm, others, like Claude, feel underdeveloped.

With its mix of suspense, glamour, and romance, Hooked on You is an engaging summer read, perfect for those who enjoy high-stakes drama with a dash of love.

Firstly, thank you so much for sending me a early copy of Hooked On You.
In this wonderful story, we follow Ore, a journalist who has been asked to write a story on billionaire chuck. Little does she know there's a more than the story she has been sent to wrote about.
We also get the POV of thr captain of the ship Daniel. How he learns to let his guard down, and let people in, whilst helping Ore out.

Good mystery story following Ore has (almost) landed her dream job as an investigative reporter for the New Yorker but she has to get a scoop on elusive billionaire Harrison Marigold. To complete her mission she has to spend 2 weeks on Harrison's luxury yacht. She meets Daniel the captain and he is wary of Ore as he does not want her to scupper his chances of a job as captain of a super yacht down under.
As Ore starts to ask questions of the crew who are loyal to Daniel makes her job harder, but when she stumbles across the shady business Harrison and his friends are involved in she finds she is attracted to Daniel and sparks fly.
This is a really good mystery come romantic story that keeps you interested would highly recommend.

As someone who loves watching Below Deck, a book set on a boat was perfect. The politics of the crew along with an owner who controls everything including his own daughter gives rise to a great read with intrigue as to what is he hiding and will our heroine get to the bottom of it.

This was so much fun! This would be a great book to read in the summer, especially on vacation. So cute and sweet and some cheesy-ness but all so much fun!

Ore is on the verge of landing her dream job as an investigative reporter for The New Yorker. The only condition is that she must secure an exclusive scoop on the elusive billionaire Harrison Marigold. This means spending two weeks on his luxury yacht off the coast of Australia, winning over the crew and uncovering the truth behind his powerful empire.

Daniel is just as close to his dream job as captain of a superyacht. The only thing standing in his way is one final assignment, chartering a yacht for a billionaire and ensuring that a distractingly beautiful journalist does not interfere with the crew. But keeping Ore from disrupting his carefully charted course proves far more difficult than expected.

As Ore digs deeper, she starts to sense something unsettling about Marigold and his associates. What was meant to be a straightforward profile begins to feel much bigger and more dangerous than she had anticipated. Meanwhile, her growing connection with Daniel complicates everything further. Their chemistry is undeniable, but their bond is built on more than just attraction. It is rooted in shared values and mutual respect.

Hooked on You is more than just a romance. The blend of investigative journalism, mystery and slow-burning tension gives the book an added depth. The intrigue surrounding Marigold keeps the plot engaging, and while the romance develops naturally, it does not overshadow the wider story. Ore’s friendship with Carlos, the yacht’s chef, is a highlight, though it would have been great to see more of it. Some of the side characters, particularly Marigold’s associate Claude, feel a little underdeveloped, but overall, the book delivers a fun and compelling read.

Set against the backdrop of a luxurious yacht and the sparkling Australian coast, Hooked on You is a perfect summer read, balancing romance and suspense in a fresh and engaging way.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

An amazing exciting read based on board a super yacht. How I sympathised with someone trying to get a first break in a job. Well written with good chemistry between the maim characters and a tangled tale to unearth. Loved the super yacht setting.

A book with shiploads of potential, but it just didn't do it for me unfortunately.

Let's talk about some of the winning moments for this book. Firstly, I really liked the premise of Ore interviewing a CEO on a yacht and the romance being between her and the yacht's captain, Daniel. It felt very fresh, very below deck and very demure. I don't read loads of romance books that are set off land, so this was cool and I felt like I was reading about this cool world with all the boat-related jargon and jarring rich people. So that was really cool. Ore is unmistakably driven and her determination to get a good story especially given the unpredictable/uncertain nature of the journalism industry helped give the plot some momentum for sure.

Ore is half Hatian and half Nigerian, and her ethnicity is really well represented in this book. It is about damn time we see more diversity in romance books so hats off to Barumé for actually putting realistic characters in her books whilst doing due diligence on the representation of their culture/ethnicity. Speaking of Ore, she was really earnest and funny. She felt like a real gem amongst a lot of fakery that we see in Chuck and his so-called friends. Speaking of Chuck, he was so unbearable. He was so annoying and I know he was written to be a phony CEO, but this book was so painful because of how annoying I found him.

Other than Chuck being the worst character, I also wasn't crazy about Daniel. He had some depth to him, but I just wasn't charmed or drawn to his character very much. It also didn't feel like he had a heap loads of chemistry with Ore. Without saying too much, he also wasn't super easy to root for. A lot of the plot twists or OMG moments were because he'd done silly things which just further undermined his character for me.

So unfortunately, this book didn't really spark much excitement in me despite how excited I was to get stuck in.

I really enjoyed this one and think it’s a fun little romance/mystery mix and would be great for a palate cleanser from heavy dark romances, fantasy, etc.
Ore spends some time on a billionaires yacht to interview/write about him and it doesn’t take long for her to realize things are super shady. Daniel is the sexy and luckily non-corrupt captain of the ship. I enjoyed their banter and the way they worked together to ultimately figure out what kind of corruption was going on. I liked that the stakes were higher in this than they were in Love Overboard! My favorite side character was absolutely the chef, Carlos and I would’ve loved more of him!

this was a cute, quick read that i laughed out loud several times. cant wait for the author’s next book, that’s for sure.

I wasn't too sure when I started this book however soon started to enjoy the combination of romance along with a degree of mystery as to what was going on...

With a mix of romance and mystery, Hooked on You's going to be a fun read for your summer getaway

Hooked on You follows Ore, a journalist who's about to get a job at the New Yorker, but the catch is she first needs to write a profile on the CEO of a big and powerful company. To do that, she's spending a few days on his yacht to interview him, the crew, and his guests. The captain of this yacht is Daniel, who always had his life perfectly planned out, that is until he meets Ore. As she digs deeper into this story and starts interviewing the crew, Ore realises that there is something off about this CEO and his associates, and this profile might turn into something bigger and more dangerous than she had anticipated.

This book does a good job of not leaving the plot only in the hands of the romance and the connection between the two main characters; sometimes, especially at the beginning, it doesn't even feel like it's the main thing going on, which I think is quite refreshing. Ore and Daniel shared an instant connection, but I like that their relationship isn't only based on their attraction for each other but also on their shared values and respect. I love Carlos, the yacht's chef, and his friendship with Ore, but I do wish we got to see more of it. Moreover, I will say some of the side characters feel a bit one-dimensional, especially Claude, one of the CEO's associates.

Hooked on You is a blend of romance and mystery set against the backdrop of a luxurious yacht - a fun summer read to take on your holiday!

Many thanks to Avon UK and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

This book was so good! I really loved the characters and how well developed they were! I enjoyed reading their story!