More Than Shipmates: A Steamy Workplace Love Triangle Rom-Com

Below Deck #1

by Philippa Young

Eliza Chapman has never been good enough.

Not to get into drama school, not to hold down a boyfriend, not even to be her insufferable brother’s PA.

But that’s about to change.

Eliza’s enrolled as an entertainment host on a six-month Caribbean cruise, where the motto is “work hard, play hard”. Determined not to repeat the mistakes of her past by mixing work with romance, she swears herself off men completely.

However, when the lines between colleagues and crushes blur and the nightlife puts her in some scandalous situations, Eliza’s efforts to resist temptation are challenged by cheeky American Tom and charming Brit Oscar, who might not be so willing to resist her.

More Than Shipmates is a tension-fuelled, steamy romantic comedy about fresh starts and learning to let love in.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Summer, Friends To Lovers, Contemporary, Workplace Romance, Forced Proximity

516 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2023

Reviews

[Koisty · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Missing Name Tag Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5

THIS IS NOT A WHY CHOOSE - which was the first very quick realisation I made and I was initially disappointed because I might have gone into this thinking it was RH and not Love Triangle, and I do not like Love Triangles...

Actually, I hate them - WHICH IS WHY THIS IS SUCH A SHOCKER because I was legitimately ADVOCATING to get my friends (who also dislike the Love Triangle trope) to give this a try because it was so much fun and the trope was done really well!

This book is a three-person POV following Eliza, Tom and Oscar (Harvey) but most of the book is spent in Eliza's perspective. She is running away from her life and problems in the UK for 6 months, while she joins a crew onboard a Carribean luxury cruise liner as part of the entertainment staff. There is nothing for her in England so she sets on this journey to find herself, with one rule -DO NOT MIX BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE! She will let nothing distract her from her goal of doing a good job, but soon finds not one, but two very pleasurable-looking distractions in the crew that will make her rule VERY HARD TO FOLLOW!

I am sure the advert she applied for read:
Wanted:
ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʀᴜɴ ᴀᴡᴀʏ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴀʟʟ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴛʀᴏᴜʙʟᴇ ᴀᴛ ʜᴏᴍᴇ?
ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴏᴛ ꜱɪɴɢʟᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴀʟᴇɴᴛᴇᴅ?
ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏᴍꜰᴏʀᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴘᴜᴛ ɪɴ ᴍᴜʟᴛɪᴘʟᴇ ꜱɪᴛᴜᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴀʟᴍᴏꜱᴛ ɴᴀᴋᴇᴅɴᴇꜱꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴏᴡᴏʀᴋᴇʀꜱ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴋɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴀ ᴄʀᴜɪꜱᴇ ꜱᴇᴇɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀꜰᴜʟ ᴄᴀʀʀɪʙᴇᴀɴ???
ᴡᴇʟʟ ᴀᴘᴘʟʏ ɴᴏᴡ!!!!!

The plot of this is very much Eliza figuring out who she would want to see herself with, with both men having their pros and cons for why they would be a good choice. I am glad that her choices led her to who she ended up with, as he was very much my frontrunner right from the start. For me, his relationship with Eliza had more substance and foundation than just overt sexual attraction. I loved how much he cared for her, looked out for her and noticed those little things. It was really sweet to see how each and every day he and she fell more in love with each other.

Eliza is very hard on herself, and her self-esteem and worth is basically shot to shit. Having been rejected by multiple drama schools for "not being good enough", with all of her English friends having moved on, becoming famous and leaving her behind, she feels very worthless and untalented, when the opposite is very much true. She is a BEACON of energy and light that everyone cannot help but be drawn into. She is fantastic with the guests as she has a hypnotizing likeability that makes everyone want to know her - which is perfect if your job is entertaining new strangers every week.

I liked that each guy, both Tom and Oscar had their own deep backstory to explain who they were and why they behaved like they did.
Tom is instantly likeable as he is very much the funny guy, being an amateur standup comedian he brings a lot of joy and laughter to the table, but underneath he is hiding his grief as he struggles with personal loss and how that has impacted his life.
Oscar is a reformed "bad boy", with the reputation of currently being the most "unfun" person due to how serious he is. But he has a fantastic quality of making Eliza see what she is good at and rebuild that lack of self-esteem while also giving her that safety of being spontaneous, while also allowing her to open up and get out of her comfort zone.

The one thing that I found annoying about Eliza's character is that she runs away from her problems. But this is very much an intentional annoyance placed on the reader as it is a theme of who she is and how she has to learn to overcome this issue. I think why it felt a little annoying is that it dragged on very long and occurred VERY OFTEN before she learnt to work through it. Every time that she had an issue with one of the boys, she tended to run away from that confrontation and shut them out. This would just lead to drama and no communication while she spirals on assumptions. She almost always leaves it up to the boys to push her into a literal corner and confront her before she would deal with it. I DIDN'T let this annoyance influence me toooooo much because you're not going to have perfect characters who learn everything in a book. The whole point I believe is to have realistic people, and I know for a fact that almost everybody chooses to run away from their problems instead of facing them head-on - even if we say the opposite!

Something to note is that even though this is a slow-burn romance - it takes a while for actual P in V action and a "relationship" to form, there is A LOT OF STEAM!!!! Imagine the type of vibes you would get for a bunch of horny "early adults" living in a coed dorm, with drinking allowed and almost everyone is single. Basically, every time there is alcohol in their system, someone is TAKING THEIR CLOTHES OFF... (Well maybe not fully). BUT there are rowdy games, and kissing, and touching and fondling in the dark. A literal STEAM FEST that will satisfy your little smut heart as it makes you feel like you're reading something really dirty and explicit but it's not fully there yet.

This also had a really sweet found family element to the story that given all the hardship and trauma these three main characters experienced prior to the start of this book, was sweet to see how they managed to find a family in their friends aboard the ship.

Other small little things I liked about the book:
✤ All the Pop Culture References
✤ The whole "Cloud 9"-Amy name tag thing where Oscar doesn't have his actual name on his tag
✤ ALLL THE SHOW TUNES and Musical Theatre References

The Tropes:
▶ Love Triangle
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Workplace Romance
▶ Slow Burn

and Micro Tropes:
▷ Good Girl
▷ Mine
▷ It Won't Fit
▷ Forehead Kisses
▷ Public Sex
▷ View is Amazing (While he looks at her)
▷ Lift your Hips for me
▷ Surnames for Nicknames

Overall, this was FUN - and made me rethink that I might not hate Love Triangles AFTERALL!!!!!

Thank you to Phillippa Young and Netgalley for my gifted copy!
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Sylvie {Semi-Hiatus} · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars.

Love triangle at its finest. 🙃

[Sienasummerrreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a debut novel. This book was so much fun. It follows Eliza who feels like she is a failure in her families eyes, herself due to rejection from her dream path and also losing friends and being burned by a past Ex. She wants to start fresh and make her own path so she decides to take a job on a cruise boat for six months.

This was just a fun Romcom that made you laugh, swoon and feel. The characters had depth to their characters, the plot I really enjoyed and the love triangle going was great. Can I just say the cruise boat “games” though was very exciting to the plot. Just the little things Oscar or Tom would do here and there was just Swoon. If you read it honestly just have fun with it because the tension and angst is fantastic.
Loved Eliza’s journey as it was a path of self discovery.

If you love:

🔹A Couple Of Love Interests
🔹Cruise Boat
🔹Workmates & Fun Games
🔹Travelling
🔹Self Discovery Trip
🔹Tension & Angst

Genre/Type: Romcom Romance 18+
APK: Kindle ARC
Pages: 490
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone - Out 1st June
Tropes or Themes: Forced Proximity, Love Triangle, Romcom, Workplace, Cruise Boat, Musical Themes, Mentions Death & Grief
Check Triggers ⚠️

All Round Romance Reader 
Sienasummerrreads 💕📚
TikTok | Instagram | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Scribd | Amazon | Audible Reviews 💫

[Andrea ☾ [is inconsistently consistant] · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ⭐ I don't really know what this book was trying to do...

... whatever it was, it didn't work for me. I read this book a week ago. I wanted to sit and think on what I would write in this review because, to be honest, when I finished reading the book I was more confused than when I started. This book's main selling point is that the whole plot is OM drama. Which I didn't know or I would have never picked it up. There's 3 POVs- one is the fmc, and the other two from the guys who are interested in her. She goes back and forth between them, both physically and emotionally, and since we get their POV too, we see them live through this experiences with her, so it's extremely confusing and uncomfortable when she finally has to choose just one.

The whole life on a ship thing was fun, and the spicy activities they got themselves into were hilarious and I'm all for mixing things up. But everyone felt either too immature or too selfish to thrive on an environment where you have to live with your co-workers for up to six months.

Overall, this wasn't for me, but maybe it could appeal to someone who likes this "who will she choose" types of books. I'm just a not a fan.

⭐⭐.75 / 5
🌶️🌶️🌶️ / 5

Thank you so much Net Galley for the eARC!

[Hunter Villarreal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing Group 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

[rouss♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

:༄˖°. 𝟒.𝟐𝟓 .ೃ࿔*:

romantic comedy plot: Enrolled as an entertainment host on a cruise ship, Eliza swears off men completely. navigating a fun new job, cute coworkers and spicy staff games - what could go wrong?
It was a fun story that made you laugh, swoon and feel. The characters had depth, the plot I really enjoyed and the love triangle was great. For Eliza a journey of self-discovery.

ELIZA
mon't date a coworker
sarcastic
queen of halloween
secret kinky
trust issues

OSCAR
mysterious british mentor
soft dom
bisexual king
workaholic

TOM
never had a girlfriend
golden retriever
cheeky american
can't dance fr sh*t

[Dom Reeves · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a disappointing read, this book was exactly what I needed to keep me from spiralling into a slump.

‘More than Shipmates’ is a debut novel by Philippa Young that is just sunshine in a bottle! Our protagonist, Eliza, has a drama-filled past that she leaves behind for an adventure working on a cruise ship. Of course, it’s not going to be smooth sailing. 😏 She is thrown in the centre of a love triangle, with her vow of singledom being tossed extremely quickly at the buffet of men in front of her.

I genuinely enjoyed this novel; it was very light and an easy read, and the spice! 🥵 Yes, please!! I devoured this book so fast!! It’s the perfect summer read (when the British weather decides to cooperate)

If you recently finished reading a book that demoralised you, this is the ideal pick-me-up. This book made me smile and giggle on multiple occasions. The characters were written well and were extremely relatable. You wanted to root for them. The only thing is, if you do read this, you may crave more depth and more complexity (but that didn’t bother me).

If you are looking for a guaranteed HEA (with some twists and turns), relatable characters that you’ll want to be your besties, and a glimpse into the chaotic behind-the-scenes escapades of the crews, then this book is for you!

Thanks to the publishers and Netgallery for providing me with this book. The review is my honest opinion 🩷

[Britt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley & Summer Stars Publishing Limited for an eARC of this book. The following review is my honest reflection on the text provided.

I know there are books out there that are full of lighthearted romance tropes while still managing to address complex topics, but when Young tries to do it, I was left feeling scattered and confused. I was getting whiplash; one moment, a character is grieving, and then suddenly, someone is organising an orgy. And a few hours later, everyone heads back to work, albeit very hungover. Cue another crisis, be it a lack of direction in life, fear of failure, having feelings for more than one person, or a cheating bisexual boyfriend and follow it up with a game of drunken spin the bottle. More Than Shipmates may be way longer than needed, but it wasn't long enough to give anything in this narrative the time and detail required to feel like it was more than a hit list of hot topics.

Most of these characters had some level of angst ranging from "my family is emotionally abusive" and "drowning in grief after the death of a family member" to "I'm not close to my high school friends anymore" and "I thought my boyfriend was cheating on me so I jumped to extreme conclusions, and when I found out he wasn't I decided I didn't deserve him and broke up with him anyway". But the weirdest part is that they were all treated with the same level of importance, making it difficult to really care about anything. If everything is important, is anything really important?

I'm not a fan of love triangles, even in the best books, but this one made zero sense. Tom barely registered as a love interest, but every time we got a peak at his perspective, he was so madly in love you'd think they were already married. Meanwhile, Eliza only seems to consider his potential in the moments when she's given up on Oscar. If you define love triangles as three people in the same general vicinity who have contemplated a sexual attraction to each other at some point, then you might love this one.

Selfishly, I was very excited when Oscar revealed his bisexuality. In the famous words of Eleanor Shellstrop, "More guys should be bi," and I'll take bi representation wherever I can get it. Where many parts of this narrative fall short, Young did a pretty good job with Oscar's sexuality. Eliza as a character was often a blunt instrument; she jumped to conclusions, made mountains out of molehills, alternated between compromising and confrontational at the strangest times, and always walked away with the wrong impression of a situation. Lacking any subtlety or nuance, she nonetheless took Oscar's sexuality in stride, forcing me to actually like her for a brief moment.

I'm not going to lie; I'm writing this review over two months after reading the book. Whenever I tried to write down some thoughts, I found myself annoyed or disappointed or bored. So here we are now, with not so many details but with a definite feeling that More Than Shipmates just didn't work. I saw another review wishing this tired love triangle had ended in a throuple; honestly, that may have been the only way to salvage this book. I'm actually pretty disappointed it didn't happen now.

Review originally posted here on Britt's Book Blurbs.

Amazon | Blog | Bookstagram | Reddit | Wishlist

[Kims.reading.nook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stepping onto a Caribbean cruise ship for the first time, Eliza is filled with trepidation. After another failed application to drama school, she's set her sights on adventure and is locked into 6 months as an entertainment host!

On her first day she meets Tom, an American comedian and fellow newbie, and then unexpectedly she meets Harvey, a tall, blonde Brit... naked in her cabin! She's sworn herself off of men whilst on board, but as their connections grow will she be able to resist their charms?

Author @philippayoungauthor reached out to provide me with this ARC and I'm SO glad that she did. This is an incredible debut and I'm so impressed with the depth she's given to both the main and the supporting characters; I connected with each of them right away and loved the 3 way POV. The descriptions of the cruise ship and its destinations were beautiful as well!

The book itself is longer than most romances which I loved! This was very much a story of personal growth for Eliza, Tom and Harvey alongside their interconnected romantic pursuits. The 🔥 gave perfect 'good girl' vibes and the characters were inclusive and varied (queer friendly). Ultimately I couldn't put it down and am absolutely blown away!

This book will publish on June 1st and I highly recommend you pre-order a copy ❤

[Steph (Teacups & Tropes) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Before I found out I could request this on Netgalley, I saw this book somewhere on social media. I don't know who posted about it, or how I came across it, but I was like "Oh, what a cute and wholesome lil cartoon cover. I love cruises I'm going to read this!"

Don't let the cartoon cover fool you. Philippa Young has packed this book full of hot, filthy spice and I loved every second of it. But more than the smut, she has also managed to create well rounded and unique characters, and fully fleshed out side characters. She created an entire world aboard a fictional cruise ship and I savoured every single second of this book. It took me six days to read it - it is a thicc boi - but I couldn't put it down. I found something I could connect with in each of the main characters - Oscar, Eliza, and Tom - and I literally had anxiety about wanting to know who Eliza ended up with. That nervous feeling is why I LOVE love triangles. Philippa Young is a master at her craft and I can't believe this is her debut novel.

I'm heavily invested in her and I can't wait to jump on the second book, which is a work in progress right now. I can't tell you who it involves, but when you finish this book you'll find out. Just, don't be put off by this cover. Pick up this book however you read and thank me later.

[madi mauldin · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Juliette Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 ⭐️

I loved all the nautical vibes of this book so much. Ship life seems like something everyone needs to experience once in their life. I also appreciated the plot, but the characters, mainly Eliza, were just a tad bit too immature for my taste. The spice was very well done, though sometimes a bit too much. My cheeks reddened when I read about some of the games they played.

Overall, a quick nice romance, with a very nice and entertaining setting! 🛳️

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review ♥️

[Georgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never read a cruise ship setting before and I never usually like “love triangles” but I thought this was so enjoyable and such an easy read!

I got through it really quickly and found the storyline easy to read, I liked how we found out about the characters as we moved along with the book.

All in all a cutesy little romance with a unique setting (for me at least!)

[Asha ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 star!
i have to say im not the biggest fan of having to choose between two (and almost always her sleeping with both guys in the span of 2 days). i do like that she made the 'right' choice (imo). i was rooting for this person literally from the START, so i was very happy she chose him in the end.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in a day, which talks for itself!
I’ve never read a book with this sort of setting, I loved the concept of it being on a cruise ship because it meant… FORCED PROXIMITY <3

Now, I’ve not read many love triangles and ones i have read before disappointed me, but this did not disappoint! Philippa had me rooting for both guys at different points, but I’m glad with who Eliza ended up with in the end. I loved seeing all 3 of their POVs it made me connect to them more and we got to delve deeper into each character’s backstory. I liked and enjoyed all 3 of the main characters, which is rare!

The writing style made me wanting more, I only put the book down when I had to go to work, but I’ll tell you now as soon as I finished I picked it straight back up lol.

It’s a great rom-com which I’d recommend to everyone, like who doesn’t like a nice, cute read, with not 1 but 2 amazing mmcs???


I received this advanced copy for an honest review, everything I’ve said are my own thoughts!

[Jordan Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 3.5 rounded to 4 stars :)

I'm an avid romance reader, and the tropes, storylines, and archetypes can feel repetitive after a while. But Phillipa Young's book, More Than Shipmates, had many refreshing components and was different from my typical romance read.

Here's why the book is so endearing.

For one, the setting is on a cruise ship. Yes, a cruise ship. I mean, talk about forced proximity! I'd never read a book with characters who work on a cruise ship, so I loved that aspect of the novel. I also loved the camaraderie between Eliza and her friends/fellow coworkers and enjoyed the parties, events, and games that they'd play together. It just seemed like so much fun, and that atmosphere was tangible throughout the book.

I enjoyed Eliza as our heroine and appreciated the complexity of her past, and how it intertwined with her present life on the cruise ship. Eliza's narration was witty and sharp, just like her character. I liked that we got to read chapters from both Tom's and Oscar's perspectives, too. The spicy scenes from Oscar's POV just... hit differently.

As for the romance aspect itself, I've surprisingly not read many books featuring love triangles. That being said, I do wish that there had been more vacillating between Tom and Oscar as love interests. Eliza was fooling around with Tom, and I really liked their dynamic - but then he got friend-zoned and she pursued a real relationship with Oscar. Out of the two men, I think Eliza did end up with the best person for her, but I personally prefer my love triangles to be messy and dramatic. This love triangle was a bit messy, but that mess was contained for the most part. Eliza was sort of with Tom, and then not friends with him at all; Eliza and Tom makeup, and become friends again, but Tom wants more; Eliza friend-zones Tom and pursues Oscar; Eliza and Oscar date. It was too compartmentalized for my liking.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed More Than Shipmates and recommend it to any romance reader looking to shake up their reading repertoire.

Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of More Than Shipmates to review. All thoughts are my own and are not influenced by any third party.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being confined on a cruise ship brings out forced proximity, workplace romance, and a whole lot of fun! Set in a beautiful atmosphere, this LGBTQ+ friendly story gets a little steamy in all the best ways.

Eliza drops everything to set sail working in the entertainment branch of a cruise ship. Why? Because there’s nothing left for her at home. And here she can reinvent herself to be whoever she wants to be. There’s only one problem - she doesn’t know who that is.

“You’re not a child anymore. I’m not going to save you this time.”

Her family doesn’t believe in her. The people she thought were friends have abandoned her. And she’s sworn off all men… or so she vowed. At least until Oscar and Tom come along and neither one wants to share. But can they hold their own secrets in the past long enough to make her see them for them? Or will they be ripped open and left raw and wanting?

“The gay community called me a fraud. The straight community didn’t trust me not to stray. I was good enough for a night or two, but nothing more.”

For a debut novel, this was really good. The tension was fun and all over the place. And being surrounded by a bunch of young 20-something year old characters brings about its own brand of chaotic angst, passion, and energy. There was always something going on, just like on a cruise ship, and I loved the endless entertainment and buffoonery vibes this book has in it.

However, there was a lot of inner monologue rather than outer dialogue which got monotonous quickly. I wish they told their backstories to each other rather than to the reader. And since it’s on a cruise ship, I was hoping for more details about the locations they went to or what the ship looked like. But that didn’t take away from how cute the story is.

This has a slight love triangle feel to it, but not really enough push and pull between the characters to make me consider it as a full fledged drama. And considering the illustrated cover, the spice was a welcome surprise! Definitely an enjoyable summer romcom!

“Sometimes we can get caught up in the what-ifs and lose sight of all the great things that have happened because of the choices we made.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Summer Stars Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Réka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the perfect summer read.
The foreword from the author about the spicy chapters was really funny and definitely made me excited to reach each one that was listed.
A six-month Caribbean cruise job as an entertainment host? it was a super interesting setting
Two hot guys falling for our mc? Yes please!
I'm ususally not a big fan of love triangles but this is definitely going on my exception list.
All the fun and naughty activities the staff plans after the end of their shift? that scavenger hunt is burned into my mind
Eliza, Oscar and Tom were such great characters, it was easy to love all of them from the start.
I can't wait to read the next book.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book.

[Ashley]

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for letting me read this arc! I really enjoyed Eliza as a character and watching her grow. I've never read anything with the setting being on a cruise ship and found this very enjoyable. After being left to feel like a failure Eliza uses her new job to find herself, confidence, and gaining new important friends. I love dynamic was good too. Easy to read and enjoyable. Perfect for the summer!

[Romance Reads With Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eliza Chapman has been failing her entire life. She can't get into drama school, despite trying several times. She can't keep a boyfriend or her friends, eventually having to quit the job she loved out of embarrassment. She can't even be her own brother's Personal Assistant. Which is why now she's getting on a cruise for the next six months to work as entertainment staff. She is at rock bottom, and this is her last chance. Since the last time she mixed work and romance ended in absolute disaster, Eliza has sworn off all men. That is until she meets Tom, a handsome, new crew member like her. And then again when she meets Oscar, her trainer on the ship. This love triangle creates a lot of tension as Eliza adjusts to being away from internet, family, and everything she's ever known.

This book was so light-hearted and fun. There was so much sexual tension that I could basically feel it in my room. I really liked this book. It took me awhile to get into it, I'll admit I found the beginning very slow. But I do think it was necessary, and the book got better as it went on. I usually never like love triangles because what if I have a favorite and they don't choose the one I love? But for the first half of this book, I didn't even have a favorite. I was really enjoying the playful banter between Eliza and Tom and Eliza and Oscar. I also really enjoyed the arguing between Tom and Oscar. Oscar is absolutely swoon-worthy. He is everything. Tom is also really amazing, but I started to really favor Oscar as the book went on. Obviously, it goes without saying that I will not be saying who she ends up with as to not spoil it. But either way, this was written elegantly and so beautiful.

Now, I've never worked on a cruise nor have I ever been a guest on a cruise. So based on my little to no knowledge about them, this was perfect to me. I love the way Young depicted the events that go on in a cruise. Especially the after hours things. There is explicit content in this book, and there are a few trigger warnings that I would check out before reading. Like I said, the beginning was really slow for me. I usually read ebooks relatively fast, but I couldn't find myself picking this one up as much as I usually do. Until about the halfway mark. I got really invested in the love story but also Eliza's character development, I really enjoyed seeing her come alive in the second half of the book. This was a great summer read, and it could definitely bring you out of a reading slump if you need one!

[__frozenrobot__ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Summer Stars Publishing for providing me with this ARC.

This book totally won my heart! I was super sceptic going into this book because I’m normally not a big fan of love triangles, but it was executed very well here and with just the right amount of angst.
I, like the author, am a big musical theatre enthusiast so all the references were much appreciated. I was just thinking how cool it would be if Eliza and Oscar performed songs as JD and Veronica - and THEY DID! So epic! Fight for me and Seventeen are some of my favorites, Dead girl walking would have probably put me into cardiac arrest.
Eliza was such a fun character and I loved watching her coming to terms with what she really wants in life. Oscar and Tom were both total cinnamon buns. Without giving to much away, I’m super happy how the love story played out.
As criticism I want to talk about the length of this book. With nearly 500 pages it really really scratches on the absolute maximum on how lang romance novels should be. In my opinion the book sometimes lacked some direction or was a tat bit confusing to follow. Another small negative talking point could be the games - here and there I had a heart time following what was happening during the crew games.

All in all this book was definitely a super cute story with just the right amount of heat and horny crew members 🤭 I would definitely recommend it in the future!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

*Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, Philippa Young, for providing me with this e-copy in exchange for an honest review.*

[MaKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun read overall. I loved how different and refreshing this was to read. This was my read after my Fourth Wing Hangover and it was a good pick! I loved the characters and the depth we got of them through the book being in 3 perspectives. I loved getting to hear the different voices and personalities from each unique MC. It was mostly from the FMC, Eliza's POV, but we did get a good amount of chapters from the other two MMC.

This book did not have your “normal” romance novel pacing, and I loved that. Really makes this book unique. There were moments of quick romance and an underlying slow burn plot line. I loved both! I thought that this was going to be a thruple situation but I loved how the whole plot turned out. My only issue with this book was there were a few spots that I had to reread to understand context or what was happening, but it did not happen often.

Overall, I loved it! I was hooked by ch 3, and I found myself staying up late getting caught in the “just one more chapter” loop. It was so good I found it hard to put down. Great debut novel!

I would definitely read a second book and I’m glad to see there is one slated to happen!
Thanks NetGalley and Summer Stars Publishing Limited
My opinions are all my own. I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Whitni Hollimon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eliza Chapman leaves her failure in London to hop aboard a cruise ship and pursue other career options. One of the first rules of this endeavor? No men. That rule is completely marked out as soon as she encounters Tom and Oscar.

This book is full of romance, navigating the failures of life, and finding yourself again. I found myself laughing out loud while reading each page.

I had never read a book centered around life on a cruise ship before (well, besides something about the Titanic, and we all know how that went…). I absolutely loved this book, and I recommend that every lover of romance check it out.

Be on the lookout for this one to release on June 1st! You’ll find me in the preorder line!

I would also like to extend a huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Lauren (readwithloz) · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so good, I still can't believe this is a debut/isn't a story about my friends.

Love triangle, sexual tension, coming of age & self discovery, found family, close proximity.

Read/download on KU here!

[issymiia · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was so annoying as a love triangle because HUHHH she led one of them on and the miscommunication was so annoying like bad choice of plot

[paris · Rating 4 out of 5]

firstly i want to thank the author for reaching out and offering me an arc in exchange for an honest review

with that being said i am sooo pleasantly surprised by this book, i have not always been sold on love triangles, typically i cannot read them and find myself enjoying the book but i’ve been trying to open up more to different concepts and i am so happy i did, this book was FUN like an all around good time

It follows Eliza who when life got tough decided she needed to get away so she takes a job on a six month cruise, there she meets oscar and tom, both of whom she gets caught up in a mix of sex and feelings with. Typically with love triangles i find myself hating one of the characters, but with this everyone was so loveable both mmc had me giggling. But hot guys and beautiful scenery aside eliza also took a grand trip of self discovery and watching her decipher it all was also quite enjoyable .

This book was overall fun, it made me want to quit my job and start a cruise world tour where i can find my own love.

for a debut novel this was really enjoyable, and i wish phillipa nothing but success 🩵 if you have a chance, consider this your chance to read this

[Raeny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.50 / 5

“I've entered uncharted territory, and I'll be damned if I jump ship now.”

I've never been on a cruise ship and have never had an interest with getting on one...until now. I was honestly hooked from the beginning and I could hardly put it down up until I finished!

The story is multi-pov between Eliza, the FMC, and the two love interests, Tom and Oscar. It's a slow burn which I actually usually love because of the gratification we get when the couple finally get together. With this one though... I was just about ready to rip my hair out because. the. TENSION. It made me so impatient and on the edge! All the interactions and just the chemistry between the characters before something finally happens was pure torture…in the best of ways of course.

And don’t let the cover fool you. The story might have been cute and fun and even fluffy, but the spice was definitely spicing! (Like for real, do all that stuff actually happen on cruise ships?? Asking for a friend.)

Thoroughly enjoyed this book overall. In need of a summer romance read? I recommend this one!

• Love Triangle
• Workplace Romance
• Forced Proximity
• Found Family
• LGBT+ Representation
• Slow burn with some angst
• Multi-POV
• Cruise ship shenanigans!
• Musicals
• So many gamessss 😉💦

***ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review***

[Liz | lizzuplans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining but way too long. Could have done with cutting about half and then editing to get things both tight and flowing.

Eliza, Oscar, and Tom’s love triangle was not that interesting to me and I was surprised at all the horny antics the crew got up to.

This book did do a nice job of letting this Below Deck fan read up more about life on a ship.

The emotional draaaaamaaaa surrounding ex friends, imposter syndromes, and cheating traumas got old quite quickly, unfortunately.

I do think I will read the second book in this series, but I fear it will be skimmed similarly as the second half ad this one.

[Kenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me this arc! This book was really good and I loved the ‘at sea’ concept as I have never read a book with this concept before. I loved thr characters growth and humour, and I loved how the FMC was English as most books have MC’s that are American which gets boring. The only negative thing I have to say is that this book was 514 pages long, and a romance book should not be over 400 pages at most. I will be picking up a physical copy of this book soon, and I will be recommending it to people!

Tropes
- Love Triangle
- Forced Proximity
- One Bed
- Workplace Romance
- Cruise Ship