I was hoping for more adventure from the cruise part of the story. I love cruising and think that the ship and excursions would add a lot of appeal for some people. I liked the ending. Air went great lengths to show Kelsey and the people around her how much he loves her and was willing to wait for her.

This was a VERY quick read: I finished it in less than 24 hours.

Definitely spicy, which started off good, but as the story went on, there was honestly too MUCH spice and not enough STORY. It left me unconvinced there was enough for a HEA, and I felt as though the characters were in extreme lust, not love.

2.5 stars, rounded down for poor execution

•𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.•

Cocktail waitress Kelsey falls for her passenger Ari on the cruise. Ari is secretly the owner of the cruise liner....

A sexy and steamy romance. Love Kelsey and Ari. Great chemistry. Lots of swoony romance too.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

I truly enjoyed this book! Usually, forced proximity and secret identity plots can feel overdone, with scenarios requiring a lot of suspension of disbelief to keep the story going. However, the author handled it masterfully in this case.

It’s almost an insta-love, but I’d describe it more as an insta-attraction. The setting on a ship was incredibly fun and, for me, quite refreshing. I really liked it.

Spoiler Alert: What I appreciated most was that Kelsey didn’t find out about Ari’s identity through someone else—he told her himself. Just for that, chef’s kiss! The third-act breakup was necessary and well-executed. That said, I missed having an epilogue that delved more into the couple’s future. Did they stay in Australia? Move to Greece? Go somewhere else?

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Up until the 70-something mark the book was great.
Just great chemistry and heart-melting naughty goodness. I was smitten with both Ari and Kelsey, the author wrote them so well that you couldn't help but cheer for their connection and love.
At least, until shit hit the fan.
Towards the ending, both characters went into this weird shift where they turned really different to their former self.
For Kelsey, the sudden change from sexy and self-assured to insecure and unworthy, was disconcerting.
I understand feeling deceived or betrayed, but the extreme mindset flip was unrealistic and kind of a turn off.
And the same happened to Ari!
The charismatic, greek-fantasy of a man suddenly transformed into a robotic, standoffish guy. And I don't mean it as in actions as much as a way of thinking. It honestly felt like reading about a whole different couple.
I really think the book would've been a big success if not for the last 20 or 25 percent.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*