What do you think?
Rate this book
Exes On Deck
For the past 25 years, Beth Collins has been stuck in a loop of safe choices and silent regrets. Now, recently divorced, battling a health scare, and turning 50, she has been given an unexpected gift—a 10-day luxury cruise intended to help her breathe again. But instead of cocktails and calm seas, Beth comes face-to-face with the past she thought she'd left buried feelings, unfinished business, and a heartbreak she never quite moved on from.
Joining Beth is her uptight, workaholic daughter, Meghan, who treats emotions like the plague and vacations like a personal attack. Meghan’s plan is keep her mother alive, avoid eye contact, and answer emails at sea. But when she meets her own ex, the one she never completely shut out of her heart, Meghan's iron grip on her well-organized life begins to fade.
Between umbrella drinks and family drama, Beth and Meghan will have to navigate old wounds, unexpected sparks and the terrifying possibility of happiness. It isn’t just a vacation—it’s a second chance at love.
Joining Beth is her uptight, workaholic daughter, Meghan, who treats emotions like the plague and vacations like a personal attack. Meghan’s plan is keep her mother alive, avoid eye contact, and answer emails at sea. But when she meets her own ex, the one she never completely shut out of her heart, Meghan's iron grip on her well-organized life begins to fade.
Between umbrella drinks and family drama, Beth and Meghan will have to navigate old wounds, unexpected sparks and the terrifying possibility of happiness. It isn’t just a vacation—it’s a second chance at love.
257 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2025
1 person is currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Jen Drapp
10 books134 followersJen Drapp, who writes under this and also under the name of J.D. Corbett, was raised in Charleston, South Carolina. As a girl, she was obsessed with learning and reading about historical and fictional characters; one of her favorites being Scarlett O'Hara. Jen has always loved writing, whether it was short stories about made-up worlds or even essays for school. She has five contemporary romances published and continues to learn and grow as an author. Jen currently lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, daughter, and a 4 year-old Cattle Dog.
Follow Jen on socials!
www.jencdrapp.com
www.facebook.com/JDCorbettBooks
www.instagram.com/jencdrapp
"Enjoy the read!"--JD
Follow Jen on socials!
www.jencdrapp.com
www.facebook.com/JDCorbettBooks
www.instagram.com/jencdrapp
"Enjoy the read!"--JD
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 11, 2025
the laughs , giggles and the fun I had from this book😩🤌🏻
I love this!!
thank you to the author for the E-arc✨
(full review coming soon)
I love this!!
thank you to the author for the E-arc✨
(full review coming soon)
June 14, 2025
I had the pleasure of reading the ARC for this book and while this book was a little bit slower than what I normally read but it was still great nonetheless. Let’s just say, the HEA was worth the wait😚❤️🔥 I feel as though a second book is needed so I can follow the main characters through the years after the epilogue. I want the DETAILS!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2025
I really enjoyed this book overall! It started off a bit slow on the romance side, there was backstory and character building mostly focused on Beth & Meghan, the journey they'd been on together. For me, their relationship really resonated within me. Beth is Meghan's mum, she survived breast cancer treatment and went into remission. Due to her experience, Beth is seeking out her second chance at life, grabbing every opportunity she can. Whereas Meghan, threw herself into work to escape. Beth's husband & Meghan's dad left during Beth's prognosis, leaving Meghan feeling alone, terrified she'd lose both parents for good. When Beth got the news she was in remission, Meghan went into overdrive fixating on her mum's health, trying to protect her, to hold on to the parent she so feared to lose forever.
My mum passed away from cancer 6 years ago, so Beth's story resonated deep. Mum had a lust for life, and given the second chance Beth had, she'd have grabbed every opportunity the same way! Which warmed my heart in more ways than one.
I did find the romance overall on the slower side. With the story building, the romance came a bit later. I honestly expected Meghan & Conor's story to steal the show for me. But honestly Beth & Ben ended up captivating me! I was routing for Beth, she deserved a second chance after all she endured to reach 50. It was beautifully executed, I didn't expect to enjoy the second chance trope as much as I did.
As for Miriam & Amy, well they just brought me along for the ride! Paul & Trice on the other hand, not so much of a fan, I just ended up visioning Paul as such a mousey little man. I was glad for Meghan's sake they were able to get on civil terms, but I didn't respect him at all.
It lost a star for me due to pacing, and while the romance scenes had some explicit language, I'd have like a more build up, more detail/suspense/foreplay etc. just to prolong these scenes.
But overall a really solid book, I'd definitely recommend this one! a real feel good summer vibes read to add to your TBR 🥂
My mum passed away from cancer 6 years ago, so Beth's story resonated deep. Mum had a lust for life, and given the second chance Beth had, she'd have grabbed every opportunity the same way! Which warmed my heart in more ways than one.
I did find the romance overall on the slower side. With the story building, the romance came a bit later. I honestly expected Meghan & Conor's story to steal the show for me. But honestly Beth & Ben ended up captivating me! I was routing for Beth, she deserved a second chance after all she endured to reach 50. It was beautifully executed, I didn't expect to enjoy the second chance trope as much as I did.
As for Miriam & Amy, well they just brought me along for the ride! Paul & Trice on the other hand, not so much of a fan, I just ended up visioning Paul as such a mousey little man. I was glad for Meghan's sake they were able to get on civil terms, but I didn't respect him at all.
It lost a star for me due to pacing, and while the romance scenes had some explicit language, I'd have like a more build up, more detail/suspense/foreplay etc. just to prolong these scenes.
But overall a really solid book, I'd definitely recommend this one! a real feel good summer vibes read to add to your TBR 🥂
June 27, 2025
🅴🆇🅴🆂 🅾︎🅽 🅳🅴🅲🅺
𝚋𝚢: 𝙹𝚎𝚗𝚗 𝙳𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚙
𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕜 𝕪𝕠𝕦 🫶🏻 @jencdrap and @lovestory_pr for the gifted E-Arc. All opinions are my own.
𝔽𝕒𝕧𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖 𝕢𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖 💕
“It’s just… I almost lost you. I almost lost you and that was the worst time of my life.”
𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪 ✏️
Beth and Meghan have been through a lot over the past few years. Beth has survived cancer and gotten divorced and Meghan is a workaholic who has had to come to terms with the fact that she almost lost her mom. When Beth is given an unexpected cruise vacation she decides that she and Meghan should take to the seas. While onboard they are each reunited with past loves and together they will need to decide if they are ready to reach out and find their happy.
𝕄𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 💭
Second chance is my absolute favorite trope so this book was perfect for me! The romance that rekindles between Meghan and Conor is so sweet and heartfelt. Their story begins as a bit of an “enemies to loves” but you can tell right from the start how deeply they both care for one another. Beth’s long lost love Ben is my favorite though. He is such a better man than her first husband Paul and Beth deserves for him to be the actual love of her life!
The writing is so well done and I really enjoyed the growth and self-discovery of both characters, especially Meghan. I connected with her as a daughter who has watched her mom survive cancer. The fear stays with you long after the treatments are finished. Seeing her reach a turning point and recognize that she is holding on too tightly was heartbreaking but so beautiful.
If you are looking for a sweet story of second chances then this is a fun one to add to your list!!
ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕚𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 📖
✩ Second Chance
✩ Travel Romance
✩ Character Growth/Healing
✩ Family Drama
✩ Grumpy Sunshine
✩ Forced Proximity
✩ Dual POV
𝚋𝚢: 𝙹𝚎𝚗𝚗 𝙳𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚙
𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕜 𝕪𝕠𝕦 🫶🏻 @jencdrap and @lovestory_pr for the gifted E-Arc. All opinions are my own.
𝔽𝕒𝕧𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖 𝕢𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖 💕
“It’s just… I almost lost you. I almost lost you and that was the worst time of my life.”
𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪 ✏️
Beth and Meghan have been through a lot over the past few years. Beth has survived cancer and gotten divorced and Meghan is a workaholic who has had to come to terms with the fact that she almost lost her mom. When Beth is given an unexpected cruise vacation she decides that she and Meghan should take to the seas. While onboard they are each reunited with past loves and together they will need to decide if they are ready to reach out and find their happy.
𝕄𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 💭
Second chance is my absolute favorite trope so this book was perfect for me! The romance that rekindles between Meghan and Conor is so sweet and heartfelt. Their story begins as a bit of an “enemies to loves” but you can tell right from the start how deeply they both care for one another. Beth’s long lost love Ben is my favorite though. He is such a better man than her first husband Paul and Beth deserves for him to be the actual love of her life!
The writing is so well done and I really enjoyed the growth and self-discovery of both characters, especially Meghan. I connected with her as a daughter who has watched her mom survive cancer. The fear stays with you long after the treatments are finished. Seeing her reach a turning point and recognize that she is holding on too tightly was heartbreaking but so beautiful.
If you are looking for a sweet story of second chances then this is a fun one to add to your list!!
ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕚𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 📖
✩ Second Chance
✩ Travel Romance
✩ Character Growth/Healing
✩ Family Drama
✩ Grumpy Sunshine
✩ Forced Proximity
✩ Dual POV
July 3, 2025
I loved this book so much! I couldn’t put it down! The book opens with emails back and forth between old friends, Beth and Amy. The emails span decades - before marriage and kids and up to present day.
The friends are going to get together to celebrate their 50th birthdays by going on a cruise trip. I was already invested in the story and characters by reading the emails. You could get a sense of the strong friendship between the characters, the fun banter they have, and an insight into current challenges in their lives. Plus you can tell right away that there will be fun and drama.
Then we meet their kids, Conor and Meghan. These two are joining their mothers on the trip, have their own things going on, and have a romantic history! We haven’t even met the other exes yet!! We meet them on board the cruise ship 😊
So much going on in the lives of our main characters and the small world on the cruise ship keeps getting smaller and smaller. I loved the banter, the depth of the relationships, the character growth, the fun, and the excitement of the second chances. It was an easy 5 stars for me. Looking forward to reading more from Jen Drapp!
The friends are going to get together to celebrate their 50th birthdays by going on a cruise trip. I was already invested in the story and characters by reading the emails. You could get a sense of the strong friendship between the characters, the fun banter they have, and an insight into current challenges in their lives. Plus you can tell right away that there will be fun and drama.
Then we meet their kids, Conor and Meghan. These two are joining their mothers on the trip, have their own things going on, and have a romantic history! We haven’t even met the other exes yet!! We meet them on board the cruise ship 😊
So much going on in the lives of our main characters and the small world on the cruise ship keeps getting smaller and smaller. I loved the banter, the depth of the relationships, the character growth, the fun, and the excitement of the second chances. It was an easy 5 stars for me. Looking forward to reading more from Jen Drapp!
August 8, 2025
I really enjoyed this book!
I’m giving this book 3.5 stars as I didn’t love it and I struggled to read it with it being in 3rd person, however I did really enjoy this book. I haven’t read a book like this before where we get two stories in one.
I loved how this book played out there were some really cute moments that had me giggling and kicking my feet.
I will say some parts did feel a bit boring but were necessary to the story.
My favourite couple are Meg and Owen I feel like I connected with those characters more compared to Beth and Ben.
Would I recommend this book? Absolutely even if I didn’t love it doesn’t mean everyone else won’t, everyone should read whatever to form their own opinions.
I wish I loved this book as much as everyone else as the storyline was really cute and it had a good plot.
I’m giving this book 3.5 stars as I didn’t love it and I struggled to read it with it being in 3rd person, however I did really enjoy this book. I haven’t read a book like this before where we get two stories in one.
I loved how this book played out there were some really cute moments that had me giggling and kicking my feet.
I will say some parts did feel a bit boring but were necessary to the story.
My favourite couple are Meg and Owen I feel like I connected with those characters more compared to Beth and Ben.
Would I recommend this book? Absolutely even if I didn’t love it doesn’t mean everyone else won’t, everyone should read whatever to form their own opinions.
I wish I loved this book as much as everyone else as the storyline was really cute and it had a good plot.
July 12, 2025
3.5 starts! I truly wasn’t sure about this book, especially in the beginning. It was such a slow start and I was a little bored and irritated with some of the characters but it picked up about halfway through and I started to enjoy it!
If you enjoy a second chance romance, then Beth and Meghan’s story is for you! A mother and daughter duo that have both been through so much, find that second chance on a 10 day cruise. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the book and even though it was in third person, I eventually got over that too!
I enjoyed Beth and Meghan’s story of second chances and I loved how they both healed so much on this trip! This book was a nice, quick read that would be a great summer read for sure!
Thanks so much to the author for a copy of this book for an honest review!
If you enjoy a second chance romance, then Beth and Meghan’s story is for you! A mother and daughter duo that have both been through so much, find that second chance on a 10 day cruise. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the book and even though it was in third person, I eventually got over that too!
I enjoyed Beth and Meghan’s story of second chances and I loved how they both healed so much on this trip! This book was a nice, quick read that would be a great summer read for sure!
Thanks so much to the author for a copy of this book for an honest review!
July 7, 2025
I adored this book! I’m usually not a big fan of third person POV, but this story totally won me over. Beth and Meghan are a mother daughter duo who’ve been through the wringer these past few years, and their journey was so moving to follow.
Beth is a recent cancer survivor and newly divorced, just about to turn 50, and heading on a luxury 10 day cruise with her daughter Meghan, and her best friend Amy. After everything she’s been through, Beth is determined to really live again. What she doesn’t expect? To run into Ben, the one who got away.
Meanwhile, Meghan has been throwing herself into work ever since her dad cheated and walked out during her mom’s cancer battle. She was Beth’s number one caregiver, and now, even though she doesn’t have time for a cruise, she’s going…for her mom. What she doesn’t expect is to end up sharing a cabin with her sort-of-ex, Connor, who happens to be Amy’s son. And if there’s one thing we know about forced proximity… 👀 enemies to lovers energy always delivers.
This book was such a treat. I loved how both Beth and Meghan go on their own journeys of healing and self-discovery, while navigating unexpected second chances. The dual romances had me giddy, and that ending? Absolute chef’s kiss.
Thank you to Jen Drapp & Love Story PR for this e-ARC!
Beth is a recent cancer survivor and newly divorced, just about to turn 50, and heading on a luxury 10 day cruise with her daughter Meghan, and her best friend Amy. After everything she’s been through, Beth is determined to really live again. What she doesn’t expect? To run into Ben, the one who got away.
Meanwhile, Meghan has been throwing herself into work ever since her dad cheated and walked out during her mom’s cancer battle. She was Beth’s number one caregiver, and now, even though she doesn’t have time for a cruise, she’s going…for her mom. What she doesn’t expect is to end up sharing a cabin with her sort-of-ex, Connor, who happens to be Amy’s son. And if there’s one thing we know about forced proximity… 👀 enemies to lovers energy always delivers.
This book was such a treat. I loved how both Beth and Meghan go on their own journeys of healing and self-discovery, while navigating unexpected second chances. The dual romances had me giddy, and that ending? Absolute chef’s kiss.
Thank you to Jen Drapp & Love Story PR for this e-ARC!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews