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The Shippers
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Expected 19 May 26Win a free print copy of this book!
8 days and 16:40:57
100 copies available
U.S. only
One of the hottest, fastest-rising rom-com stars delivers her latest swoon-worthy novel about a destination wedding on a cruise ship.
After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. With the help of a little pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly-divorced wedding guest ), and she decides to woo him during the cruise for some long-delayed closure. Only problem is, her sister’s a little busy being a bride at the moment—so JoJo ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, to be her wing man. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but then showed up, anyway. Cooper: who left town without a word four years earlier and moved to London. Cooper: who was, if she’s honest, the worst heartbreak of JoJo’s life. It’s bliss for her to see him again, and it’s agony, too—and the more they team up for Project Conquest, the more she obsesses over questions she can’t bring herself to ask.
Shipboard antics ensue in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance—as JoJo and Cooper fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, treat sunburns, get jealous, rescue each other over and over, and finally, at last, figure it all out in the most blissful, swoony, romantic way.
No one does summer romance quite like Katherine Center. THE SHIPPERS will take readers on the cruise of a lifetime in a story awash with romantic longing, top-notch banter, long-held secrets . . . and true love rediscovered.
After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. With the help of a little pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly-divorced wedding guest ), and she decides to woo him during the cruise for some long-delayed closure. Only problem is, her sister’s a little busy being a bride at the moment—so JoJo ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, to be her wing man. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but then showed up, anyway. Cooper: who left town without a word four years earlier and moved to London. Cooper: who was, if she’s honest, the worst heartbreak of JoJo’s life. It’s bliss for her to see him again, and it’s agony, too—and the more they team up for Project Conquest, the more she obsesses over questions she can’t bring herself to ask.
Shipboard antics ensue in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance—as JoJo and Cooper fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, treat sunburns, get jealous, rescue each other over and over, and finally, at last, figure it all out in the most blissful, swoony, romantic way.
No one does summer romance quite like Katherine Center. THE SHIPPERS will take readers on the cruise of a lifetime in a story awash with romantic longing, top-notch banter, long-held secrets . . . and true love rediscovered.
Audio CD
Expected publication May 19, 2026
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About the author
Katherine Center
22 books31.4k followershttps://katherinecenter.com/about/
https://www.instagram.com/katherinece...
BookPage calls Katherine Center “the reigning queen of comfort reads.” She’s the New York Times bestselling author of eleven novels, including The Bodyguard, Hello Stranger, Things You Save in a Fire, and her summer 2024 book, The Rom-Commers. Katherine writes laugh-and-cry books: bittersweet romantic comedies about how life knocks us down—and how we get back up. She’s been compared to both Jane Austen and Nora Ephron, and the Dallas Morning News calls her stories, “satisfying in the most soul-nourishing way.” The Netflix movie adaptation of her novel Happiness for Beginners—starring Ellie Kemper and Luke Grimes—just hit the Global Top Ten in 81 countries, and the movie of her novel The Lost Husband was a surprise Netflix sensation in 2020, hitting number one and landing in their top 25 movies for the year. Her books have made countless Best-Of lists—at Audible, BookBub, and Book of the Month, as well as Goodreads' Best Books of the Year, and Amazon's yearly Top 100 books. Emily Henry calls The Bodyguard “my perfect 10 of a book,” and Jodi Picoult says of Things You Save in a Fire, “Just read it, and thank me later.” Katherine lives in her hometown of Houston, Texas, with her husband, two almost-grown teenagers, and their fluffy-but-fierce dog.
https://www.instagram.com/katherinece...
BookPage calls Katherine Center “the reigning queen of comfort reads.” She’s the New York Times bestselling author of eleven novels, including The Bodyguard, Hello Stranger, Things You Save in a Fire, and her summer 2024 book, The Rom-Commers. Katherine writes laugh-and-cry books: bittersweet romantic comedies about how life knocks us down—and how we get back up. She’s been compared to both Jane Austen and Nora Ephron, and the Dallas Morning News calls her stories, “satisfying in the most soul-nourishing way.” The Netflix movie adaptation of her novel Happiness for Beginners—starring Ellie Kemper and Luke Grimes—just hit the Global Top Ten in 81 countries, and the movie of her novel The Lost Husband was a surprise Netflix sensation in 2020, hitting number one and landing in their top 25 movies for the year. Her books have made countless Best-Of lists—at Audible, BookBub, and Book of the Month, as well as Goodreads' Best Books of the Year, and Amazon's yearly Top 100 books. Emily Henry calls The Bodyguard “my perfect 10 of a book,” and Jodi Picoult says of Things You Save in a Fire, “Just read it, and thank me later.” Katherine lives in her hometown of Houston, Texas, with her husband, two almost-grown teenagers, and their fluffy-but-fierce dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,144 reviews
January 14, 2026
Hmm… I have to admit my expectations were much higher for this book, especially considering it’s written by one of my auto-approved, favorite romance authors. The opening alone had me hooked: an entertaining, chaotic wedding ceremony where the MCs escape in a modern The Graduate–style moment. Add in friends-to-lovers, fake dating, forced proximity, and a wedding cruise as the setting? I was fully prepared to give this five stars.
There’s a lot to love here. The comedy level is noticeably higher than in some of Katherine Center’s previous books, and many moments genuinely made me laugh out loud. But—and this is a big but—the reason I didn’t fully love this story comes down to the heroine.
Yes. Jojo.
Jojo is written as a brilliant woman: a Phi Beta Kappa graduate in mathematics, an Einstein-level IQ, a knot theory thesis, and a math teacher shaping young minds. And yet, from the very beginning, she behaves with a level of immaturity that completely undermined her character for me. Not in a charming, flawed-but-relatable way—but in a way that felt wildly inconsistent with how intelligent she’s supposed to be.
She stays engaged to a man for four years, and on her wedding day, her biggest concern seems to be that she’s stuck wearing an itchy wedding gown borrowed from her mother-in-law—one she broke the zipper on—rather than the fact that she clearly does not want to marry this man. If her estranged best friend doesn’t suddenly show up at the last minute in a hobo-meets-lumberjack outfit, she might actually say “yes” and walk straight into an unhappy marriage. Six weeks later, she changes direction entirely, setting her sights on someone just as irritating as her hot ex-fiancé—jumping headfirst into yet another emotional entanglement. And through all of this, Jojo insists none of it is her fault. She’s not indecisive or emotionally reckless—she’s cursed.
Oh girl. Please. Grow up.
Thankfully, the hero completely saved this book for me. Cooper is a full-on cinnamon roll. Supportive, handsome, blue-eyed, Disney-prince energy, and emotionally available in ways romance heroes rarely are. Honestly, there were moments where I wanted to shout at him to jump off the ship, swim back to England, and forget Jojo entirely—especially every time she made yet another impulsive decision that hurt someone around her. Ironically, he is the one who should have unresolved daddy issues, not the other way around, yet he’s the most grounded person in the story.
From the start, Jojo and Cooper’s chemistry is intense and undeniable. This book could have been significantly shorter if Jojo had truly been as smart as the narrative insists she is—and if she simply acknowledged what was plainly in front of her instead of planning increasingly unrealistic emotional maneuvers. The final third was particularly frustrating, as she makes yet another impulsive choice that erased any remaining goodwill I was starting to build toward her. I really wanted to soften on her flaws, but in the end, I just wished she were less obnoxious.
That said, if it weren’t for the strong comedy and the compelling subplot involving Jojo’s parents and their crumbling marriage—along with the festive cruise atmosphere—I would have rated this a solid three stars. I actually enjoyed the humor more than the romance itself. Still, it is a feel-good rom-com with a predictable but comforting resolution, and I read it in one sitting.
As a devoted rom-com supporter, I rounded my 3.5 stars up to 4, purely out of love for Cooper and his impeccable collection of gabardine vests.
While this wasn’t my favorite book by the author, it’s still a positive, lighthearted rom-com—exactly the kind we need to lift our spirits when darker, heavier stories dominate. It may not have completely won me over, but it was still an enjoyable escape.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this feel-good rom-com’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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There’s a lot to love here. The comedy level is noticeably higher than in some of Katherine Center’s previous books, and many moments genuinely made me laugh out loud. But—and this is a big but—the reason I didn’t fully love this story comes down to the heroine.
Yes. Jojo.
Jojo is written as a brilliant woman: a Phi Beta Kappa graduate in mathematics, an Einstein-level IQ, a knot theory thesis, and a math teacher shaping young minds. And yet, from the very beginning, she behaves with a level of immaturity that completely undermined her character for me. Not in a charming, flawed-but-relatable way—but in a way that felt wildly inconsistent with how intelligent she’s supposed to be.
She stays engaged to a man for four years, and on her wedding day, her biggest concern seems to be that she’s stuck wearing an itchy wedding gown borrowed from her mother-in-law—one she broke the zipper on—rather than the fact that she clearly does not want to marry this man. If her estranged best friend doesn’t suddenly show up at the last minute in a hobo-meets-lumberjack outfit, she might actually say “yes” and walk straight into an unhappy marriage. Six weeks later, she changes direction entirely, setting her sights on someone just as irritating as her hot ex-fiancé—jumping headfirst into yet another emotional entanglement. And through all of this, Jojo insists none of it is her fault. She’s not indecisive or emotionally reckless—she’s cursed.
Oh girl. Please. Grow up.
Thankfully, the hero completely saved this book for me. Cooper is a full-on cinnamon roll. Supportive, handsome, blue-eyed, Disney-prince energy, and emotionally available in ways romance heroes rarely are. Honestly, there were moments where I wanted to shout at him to jump off the ship, swim back to England, and forget Jojo entirely—especially every time she made yet another impulsive decision that hurt someone around her. Ironically, he is the one who should have unresolved daddy issues, not the other way around, yet he’s the most grounded person in the story.
From the start, Jojo and Cooper’s chemistry is intense and undeniable. This book could have been significantly shorter if Jojo had truly been as smart as the narrative insists she is—and if she simply acknowledged what was plainly in front of her instead of planning increasingly unrealistic emotional maneuvers. The final third was particularly frustrating, as she makes yet another impulsive choice that erased any remaining goodwill I was starting to build toward her. I really wanted to soften on her flaws, but in the end, I just wished she were less obnoxious.
That said, if it weren’t for the strong comedy and the compelling subplot involving Jojo’s parents and their crumbling marriage—along with the festive cruise atmosphere—I would have rated this a solid three stars. I actually enjoyed the humor more than the romance itself. Still, it is a feel-good rom-com with a predictable but comforting resolution, and I read it in one sitting.
As a devoted rom-com supporter, I rounded my 3.5 stars up to 4, purely out of love for Cooper and his impeccable collection of gabardine vests.
While this wasn’t my favorite book by the author, it’s still a positive, lighthearted rom-com—exactly the kind we need to lift our spirits when darker, heavier stories dominate. It may not have completely won me over, but it was still an enjoyable escape.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this feel-good rom-com’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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December 31, 2025
I’m going to do a full review closer to publication date, but just know that I absolutely loved this! JoJo was so funny, so relatable, and I loved her so much!
And Cooper? Omg, the man has my heart and soul, and I blame Katherine Center for making me raise my standards even higher than they already are. 🤭
Were there flaws and issues I had with the characters and the ending? Yes. 🙂↕️ But this book was just so freaking fun and so freaking cute, I’m willing to overlook them…just this once. 😏😉
Ugh, I am so sad it ended! 😭🩷
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own.
And Cooper? Omg, the man has my heart and soul, and I blame Katherine Center for making me raise my standards even higher than they already are. 🤭
Were there flaws and issues I had with the characters and the ending? Yes. 🙂↕️ But this book was just so freaking fun and so freaking cute, I’m willing to overlook them…just this once. 😏😉
Ugh, I am so sad it ended! 😭🩷
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own.
December 20, 2025
I am in love with Cooper! 🩷 This book made me want to go back in time and fall in love with my best friend. It was just so good.
Was it somewhat predictable? Yes, but it felt like a romcom from the early 2000s. Just sooooo good. It could be a movie for sure.
A cruise. A wedding. Drama. Laughs. What more could anyone want?
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Was it somewhat predictable? Yes, but it felt like a romcom from the early 2000s. Just sooooo good. It could be a movie for sure.
A cruise. A wedding. Drama. Laughs. What more could anyone want?
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Want to read
September 4, 2025💘Pre-release:
No matter what this book is about, if Katherine Center writes it I’m already on board. Enough said 🫡
No matter what this book is about, if Katherine Center writes it I’m already on board. Enough said 🫡
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
── .✦ 3.5 stars
okay so shoutout to florida for being over 80 degrees and letting me appropriately read a summer romance in december? literally on christmas eve?
anywhoooo this was my first katherine center, and i thoroughly enjoyed! it reminded me a lot of an emily henry slash abby jimenez story, with a great romance but also so many other things going on, from emotional to entertaining to a little bit ridiculous but hey we’re having fun so it’s fine. also i realllly enjoyed the writing, literally binged over 80% of it in the matter of a few hours because it was so bingeable and i couldn’t put it down.
cooper omg the man of my dreams!!! so so sweet and silly and protective and caring and supportive and ugh literally so perfect i adored him. i want one under the tree tomorrow for christmas. thank you.
jojo, on the other hand? positively insufferable. god, i could not STAND HER. not for one second. she was so dramatic and made issues out of nothing, was so childish and couldn’t stop to have a grown up conversation when she and cooper were having issues, literally just annoyed me the entire book. i wanted to love her, truly, but i didn’t relate to her and found it difficult to actually root for her most of the time.
overall, pick this up on your next beach trip!!! it’s definitely a sit in the sand and binge in one sitting type of story, and who doesn’t love that? a super solid romance story, and yes, has inspired me to want to pick up more katherine center <3
𐙚⋆.˚pre-read
started this at 2am last night and 15% in i feel like i need to keep going (yes it’s winter but i live in #florida and it’s 80 degrees so i think a summer romance is fine yes!!) 🍒🐳
thank you to netgalley & st martin’s press for the arc! all opinions are my own.
release date: may 19, 2026
“once you’ve decided to let yourself love somebody ... it’s hard to turn that off.”
okay so shoutout to florida for being over 80 degrees and letting me appropriately read a summer romance in december? literally on christmas eve?
anywhoooo this was my first katherine center, and i thoroughly enjoyed! it reminded me a lot of an emily henry slash abby jimenez story, with a great romance but also so many other things going on, from emotional to entertaining to a little bit ridiculous but hey we’re having fun so it’s fine. also i realllly enjoyed the writing, literally binged over 80% of it in the matter of a few hours because it was so bingeable and i couldn’t put it down.
cooper omg the man of my dreams!!! so so sweet and silly and protective and caring and supportive and ugh literally so perfect i adored him. i want one under the tree tomorrow for christmas. thank you.
jojo, on the other hand? positively insufferable. god, i could not STAND HER. not for one second. she was so dramatic and made issues out of nothing, was so childish and couldn’t stop to have a grown up conversation when she and cooper were having issues, literally just annoyed me the entire book. i wanted to love her, truly, but i didn’t relate to her and found it difficult to actually root for her most of the time.
overall, pick this up on your next beach trip!!! it’s definitely a sit in the sand and binge in one sitting type of story, and who doesn’t love that? a super solid romance story, and yes, has inspired me to want to pick up more katherine center <3
𐙚⋆.˚pre-read
started this at 2am last night and 15% in i feel like i need to keep going (yes it’s winter but i live in #florida and it’s 80 degrees so i think a summer romance is fine yes!!) 🍒🐳
thank you to netgalley & st martin’s press for the arc! all opinions are my own.
release date: may 19, 2026
Want to read
November 10, 2025katherine center writes, I read.
December 8, 2025
WORTHY OF ALL THE STARSSSSS!!!!
First of all, I’m an avid Katherine Center supporter. I’d read anything she writes, but this one is her best to date! It’s a dose of healing between the pages; much-needed laughter and love. Precriptive reading.
Secondly, I’m an avid cruiser. I’d read anything that’s marketed as a clean read if it is set on a cruise ship, regardless of location.
Finally, I’m just starting to branch out into romcoms. Center’s narrative tickles my funnybone while still making me gush and swoon.
This book is centered around the idea that we need to develop courage to follow our own compass. I loved the exploration of holding space for destiny, of choosing love over fear, and of the value in rebranding. I laughed at the pity hickey episode and was instantly charmed by Cooper Watts.
I’m keeping this brief for those who are looking forward to this one. You have a book worthy of all the stars to look forward to in 2026. I'm kinda jealous that you have this wonderful book still to read for the first time!!!!
I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.
First of all, I’m an avid Katherine Center supporter. I’d read anything she writes, but this one is her best to date! It’s a dose of healing between the pages; much-needed laughter and love. Precriptive reading.
Secondly, I’m an avid cruiser. I’d read anything that’s marketed as a clean read if it is set on a cruise ship, regardless of location.
Finally, I’m just starting to branch out into romcoms. Center’s narrative tickles my funnybone while still making me gush and swoon.
This book is centered around the idea that we need to develop courage to follow our own compass. I loved the exploration of holding space for destiny, of choosing love over fear, and of the value in rebranding. I laughed at the pity hickey episode and was instantly charmed by Cooper Watts.
I’m keeping this brief for those who are looking forward to this one. You have a book worthy of all the stars to look forward to in 2026. I'm kinda jealous that you have this wonderful book still to read for the first time!!!!
I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.
December 28, 2025
3.5 stars -- Read this if you like...
- Childhood friends-to-lovers
- Fake flirting
I absolutely loved Cooper but I found Jojo and the miscommunications to be a bit annoying. This was cheesy but still a fun and addictive read!
- Childhood friends-to-lovers
- Fake flirting
I absolutely loved Cooper but I found Jojo and the miscommunications to be a bit annoying. This was cheesy but still a fun and addictive read!
December 29, 2025
Katherine Center used to write about women doing adult things, but she for some reason turned into the most basic of rom coms. These 20 something storylines just bored me to tears.
JoJo deciding not to fall for Cooper was ridiculous. He flew all the way from London to Texas to break up her failed from the start wedding, and has everything she could want. Zero buildup for the obvious.
Wish Center would go back to her roots, because this sounds like it was written by a 20 year old college student on the brink of her career as a rom-com writer.
JoJo deciding not to fall for Cooper was ridiculous. He flew all the way from London to Texas to break up her failed from the start wedding, and has everything she could want. Zero buildup for the obvious.
Wish Center would go back to her roots, because this sounds like it was written by a 20 year old college student on the brink of her career as a rom-com writer.
December 13, 2025
A childhood friends-to-lovers lighthearted rom com with well developed minor characters. I loved this ending, there’s just something about a head over heels unabashed love declaration, that I will let you read for yourself.
Our story begins as JoJo is about to marry the wrong man, and becomes a runaway bride. It’s bang-you-over-the-head obvious that this is the wrong guy, and the wrong mother-in-law. JoJo’s sister is having a cruise ship wedding just 6 weeks later. Her childhood neighbor and best friend Cooper will come along. She’s decided to connect with and kiss her first crush Finn, who is recently divorced, and has enlisted him as her wingman.
I really enjoyed this story, the setting was fun. What I didn’t love was how weirdly JoJo seemed to be so focused on the wrong guys. It was obvious to the reader who the right guy was from page 2 and it was irritating that it took her as long as it did to figure that out. Also that miscommunication trope killed me, but it was kind of done in a different and more creative way.
However, I loved Cooper’s back story and how much detail the author puts into the interpersonal relationships of the minor characters, JoJo’s whole family was really developed and gave the reader a lot of people to follow and root for.
I ended up jumping up my star rating at the end just because I loved the final scene and epilogue so much.
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC. Book to be published May 18, 2026.
Our story begins as JoJo is about to marry the wrong man, and becomes a runaway bride. It’s bang-you-over-the-head obvious that this is the wrong guy, and the wrong mother-in-law. JoJo’s sister is having a cruise ship wedding just 6 weeks later. Her childhood neighbor and best friend Cooper will come along. She’s decided to connect with and kiss her first crush Finn, who is recently divorced, and has enlisted him as her wingman.
I really enjoyed this story, the setting was fun. What I didn’t love was how weirdly JoJo seemed to be so focused on the wrong guys. It was obvious to the reader who the right guy was from page 2 and it was irritating that it took her as long as it did to figure that out. Also that miscommunication trope killed me, but it was kind of done in a different and more creative way.
However, I loved Cooper’s back story and how much detail the author puts into the interpersonal relationships of the minor characters, JoJo’s whole family was really developed and gave the reader a lot of people to follow and root for.
I ended up jumping up my star rating at the end just because I loved the final scene and epilogue so much.
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC. Book to be published May 18, 2026.
January 14, 2026
Ok sooooo my prediction is that this is going to be a movie! Omg! This is going in my 6⭐️ reads folder and will be amongst my top reads of 2026! I am so lucky and so thankful to have had the opportunity to read the book well before it comes out!
Every single part of this book was PERFECT. Jojo’s determination to find the perfect love for her just gave me so much to giggle about. She believes, after her sister’s psychoanalysis, that she imprinted on the boy that she had her first kiss with. It was a blindfolded dare that happened in the playground as a pre-teen and it stuck with her ever since.
So. She was going to find that boy, now a hunky man that’s recently divorced, and make him hers by transforming into an absolute smoke show. All this had me cackling as well 🤣.
Her childhood friend, Cooper says he’ll help her, after 4 years of radio silence due to him taking off to Europe all of a sudden but is suddenly back in her life after a largely random appearance (don’t want to spoil anything).
The majority of the book takes place on the 8 day cruise of Jojo’s sister’s wedding and so much happens. You have to read this. Trust me.
Thank you NetGalley and Katherine Center for this amazing opportunity to read the book in exchange for my honest review!
Every single part of this book was PERFECT. Jojo’s determination to find the perfect love for her just gave me so much to giggle about. She believes, after her sister’s psychoanalysis, that she imprinted on the boy that she had her first kiss with. It was a blindfolded dare that happened in the playground as a pre-teen and it stuck with her ever since.
So. She was going to find that boy, now a hunky man that’s recently divorced, and make him hers by transforming into an absolute smoke show. All this had me cackling as well 🤣.
Her childhood friend, Cooper says he’ll help her, after 4 years of radio silence due to him taking off to Europe all of a sudden but is suddenly back in her life after a largely random appearance (don’t want to spoil anything).
The majority of the book takes place on the 8 day cruise of Jojo’s sister’s wedding and so much happens. You have to read this. Trust me.
Thank you NetGalley and Katherine Center for this amazing opportunity to read the book in exchange for my honest review!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Oh, I love me a VERY protective MMC!! THIS... This is THE perfect boyfriend anyone could wish for 🥺.
Although I found the FMC very unlikable in the beginning, I came to like her. She was so toxic with every boyfriend she had but not with our MMC 🤭
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
I'm so grateful to St. Martin's Press for offering me a widget to this beautiful book via Netgalley 🧡🩷 Pretty sure I'm gonna love it 🫶🏻
Although I found the FMC very unlikable in the beginning, I came to like her. She was so toxic with every boyfriend she had but not with our MMC 🤭
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
I'm so grateful to St. Martin's Press for offering me a widget to this beautiful book via Netgalley 🧡🩷 Pretty sure I'm gonna love it 🫶🏻
January 6, 2026
5 ⭐️ Review to come. 🫶
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
2.25
i'm... disappointed. :(
i've now read ELEVEN katherine center books and rated 9 of them 4 stars or above, some even 5 stars. i loved how she wrote love stories that were emotionally mature and real and tackled a lot more than your typical rom-com. but it's like a switch was flipped because both her most recent books have been 2 stars for me. it pains me to say it because i used to call her one of my favorite authors :(
i'm not going to go into too much detail because i don't think it's really necessary but here were my thoughts while reading"
-LOVED the setting. i was so excited to read a romance set on a cruise ship because there's something magical about a cruise.
-jojo is probably the most selfish FMC i've ever read about. her life is all woe is me and everything is always happening TO her instead of her making things happen. even in the middle of her sister's wedding, she could only think about her problems. she also dips out on her own wedding in the first couple chapters (a relationship which she had been in for YEARS) and is completely unphased by it and only has bad things to say about her ex (why were you with him for 4 years if he's so bad?)
-the miscommunication was just tooo much. i can handle some miscommunication because i think it's realistic, but i'm not kidding when i say this girl literally RAN away from cooper as they were trying to figure out their problems. it felt like they were in high school and couldn't have a mature conversation to save their lives.
anyways.. i had a few other problems with this but those are the main points. i feel sad about this review and i wish i had better things to say but this is just me being honest.
i've seen friends rate this high so this could totally just be a me thing :)
🔥NO SPICE🔥 frequent references to s*x though
🤐NO STRONG LANGUAGE🤐
i'm... disappointed. :(
i've now read ELEVEN katherine center books and rated 9 of them 4 stars or above, some even 5 stars. i loved how she wrote love stories that were emotionally mature and real and tackled a lot more than your typical rom-com. but it's like a switch was flipped because both her most recent books have been 2 stars for me. it pains me to say it because i used to call her one of my favorite authors :(
i'm not going to go into too much detail because i don't think it's really necessary but here were my thoughts while reading"
-LOVED the setting. i was so excited to read a romance set on a cruise ship because there's something magical about a cruise.
-jojo is probably the most selfish FMC i've ever read about. her life is all woe is me and everything is always happening TO her instead of her making things happen. even in the middle of her sister's wedding, she could only think about her problems. she also dips out on her own wedding in the first couple chapters (a relationship which she had been in for YEARS) and is completely unphased by it and only has bad things to say about her ex (why were you with him for 4 years if he's so bad?)
-the miscommunication was just tooo much. i can handle some miscommunication because i think it's realistic, but i'm not kidding when i say this girl literally RAN away from cooper as they were trying to figure out their problems. it felt like they were in high school and couldn't have a mature conversation to save their lives.
anyways.. i had a few other problems with this but those are the main points. i feel sad about this review and i wish i had better things to say but this is just me being honest.
i've seen friends rate this high so this could totally just be a me thing :)
🔥NO SPICE🔥 frequent references to s*x though
🤐NO STRONG LANGUAGE🤐
December 15, 2025
── .✦𝘚𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸⋆·˚ ༘ *
₊˚⊹ ᰔ "𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓷𝓸 𝓾𝓷𝓲𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓮 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓬𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓶𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓱𝓮𝓵𝓹 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓘 𝓭𝓸𝓷'𝓽 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓻𝓾𝓷𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰."₊˚⊹ ᰔ
🌊⋆.˚ 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 ⋆.˚
The Shippers is an emotional, heartfelt story that balances humor and vulnerability in a way that feels deeply human.
🌊⋆.˚ This book made me laugh, and it made me cry — sometimes within the same chapter. We follow the fmc, Jojo, who was, at the very beginning, about to get married to a man she doesn’t want before bumping into her childhood best friend, Cooper. Then most of the book events take place on a cruise ship!
🌊⋆.˚ Cooper completely stole my heart, and the emotional beats landed hard. Some moments felt a bit repetitive, and Jojo, while understandable and somewhat realistic, clearly had unresolved issues that could be frustrating at times. Also, the miscommunication was through the roof honestly.
🌊⋆.˚ The romance in it was super cute and touching throughout the book and the banter was very fun to read as well! Even the side characters were greatly written and definitely had their own parts to add to this book.
🌊⋆.˚ 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 ⋆.˚
Despite its minor “flaws”, this book had me engrossed through most of the story!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy!
─────────── ࣪ ˖ ꫂ ၴႅၴ ₊ ───────────
₊˚⊹ ᰔ "𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓷𝓸 𝓾𝓷𝓲𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓮 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓬𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓶𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓱𝓮𝓵𝓹 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓘 𝓭𝓸𝓷'𝓽 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓻𝓾𝓷𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰."₊˚⊹ ᰔ
🌊⋆.˚ 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 ⋆.˚
The Shippers is an emotional, heartfelt story that balances humor and vulnerability in a way that feels deeply human.
🌊⋆.˚ This book made me laugh, and it made me cry — sometimes within the same chapter. We follow the fmc, Jojo, who was, at the very beginning, about to get married to a man she doesn’t want before bumping into her childhood best friend, Cooper. Then most of the book events take place on a cruise ship!
🌊⋆.˚ Cooper completely stole my heart, and the emotional beats landed hard. Some moments felt a bit repetitive, and Jojo, while understandable and somewhat realistic, clearly had unresolved issues that could be frustrating at times. Also, the miscommunication was through the roof honestly.
🌊⋆.˚ The romance in it was super cute and touching throughout the book and the banter was very fun to read as well! Even the side characters were greatly written and definitely had their own parts to add to this book.
🌊⋆.˚ 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 ⋆.˚
Despite its minor “flaws”, this book had me engrossed through most of the story!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy!
─────────── ࣪ ˖ ꫂ ၴႅၴ ₊ ───────────
December 21, 2025
At least it was better than her last few!
KC didn’t fall into her normal traps until about the 50% when the plot died off and the momentum stopped. Why she thinks repeating names is good writing is a complete mystery to me! Instead of our FMC learning the name of a woman in the bridal party, we only knew her as “bridesmaid two” and she repeated that approx 900 times throughout the story. A very insufferable character trait in the main character! Let’s not learn her name! Ugh.
KC didn’t fall into her normal traps until about the 50% when the plot died off and the momentum stopped. Why she thinks repeating names is good writing is a complete mystery to me! Instead of our FMC learning the name of a woman in the bridal party, we only knew her as “bridesmaid two” and she repeated that approx 900 times throughout the story. A very insufferable character trait in the main character! Let’s not learn her name! Ugh.
Want to read
December 8, 2025Read Now available on NetGalley!
Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martins Press and the author, Katherine Center for this eARC!
Publication date: May 19, 2026
Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martins Press and the author, Katherine Center for this eARC!
Publication date: May 19, 2026
December 14, 2025
Thank you Erica Martirano and NetGalley for allowed me to read this wonderful ARC. It is beautifully written and a fast-paced romance story with humor intertwined.
JoJo has had bad luck with love her whole life. Always the dumper, she thinks she has imprinted on her childhood crush and first kiss, Finn. She finds herself on a cruise ship for her sister’s wedding with her best friend, Cooper, as they try to complete Operation Conquest. Nothing goes as planned, but isn’t that how life goes?
Will JoJo end up in love? Will Finn reject her? Is Cooper secretly in love with her? You have to read The Shippers to find out!
JoJo has had bad luck with love her whole life. Always the dumper, she thinks she has imprinted on her childhood crush and first kiss, Finn. She finds herself on a cruise ship for her sister’s wedding with her best friend, Cooper, as they try to complete Operation Conquest. Nothing goes as planned, but isn’t that how life goes?
Will JoJo end up in love? Will Finn reject her? Is Cooper secretly in love with her? You have to read The Shippers to find out!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.
If you love a good happily ever after, you can never go wrong with a Katherine Center book. The characters in this book are witty and charming, and you can't help but love them. Was it predictable? Yes. But cute and romantic all the same.
"Love is not just an underlying structure holding our human universe together, but also a glimpse of something divine. Something awe inspiring and infinite. Not the kind of infinite that's out there far away, like the stars, but the kind of infinite that's embedded in us--and between us. A pattern we follow, yes, but a pattern we also create."
And don't forget to read the Author's Note on this one! Just like Katherine said, this book is for anyone who could really use a hug right now.
If you love a good happily ever after, you can never go wrong with a Katherine Center book. The characters in this book are witty and charming, and you can't help but love them. Was it predictable? Yes. But cute and romantic all the same.
"Love is not just an underlying structure holding our human universe together, but also a glimpse of something divine. Something awe inspiring and infinite. Not the kind of infinite that's out there far away, like the stars, but the kind of infinite that's embedded in us--and between us. A pattern we follow, yes, but a pattern we also create."
And don't forget to read the Author's Note on this one! Just like Katherine said, this book is for anyone who could really use a hug right now.
January 3, 2026
So many thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an early copy of The Shippers!
If Katherine Center writes it, I’m going to read it and usually in fewer than 24 hours. This was a feel-good read full of miscommunication and missed opportunities. But, fear not, it all works out in the end.
Cooper and Jojo were a blast to read about. It has been such a long time since I’ve read a boy next door story and I had forgotten how much I enjoy the allure of a childhood friendship turned adult romance. Cooper coming to Jojo’s rescue time and time again was totally swoon-worthy and he ended up being everything she didn’t know she needed.
I wish Katherine Center could crank out books as fast I can read them. I’d never tire of reading her ROM-COMs. ❣️
If Katherine Center writes it, I’m going to read it and usually in fewer than 24 hours. This was a feel-good read full of miscommunication and missed opportunities. But, fear not, it all works out in the end.
Cooper and Jojo were a blast to read about. It has been such a long time since I’ve read a boy next door story and I had forgotten how much I enjoy the allure of a childhood friendship turned adult romance. Cooper coming to Jojo’s rescue time and time again was totally swoon-worthy and he ended up being everything she didn’t know she needed.
I wish Katherine Center could crank out books as fast I can read them. I’d never tire of reading her ROM-COMs. ❣️
December 9, 2025
Thank you Netgalley for the arc!
As a Katherine Center lover, I was super excited when I got an arc of this book. Reading this book on a gray, cold day definitely hit the spot. I ate it up in a few hours. A million stars as always for Katherine Center!!
As a Katherine Center lover, I was super excited when I got an arc of this book. Reading this book on a gray, cold day definitely hit the spot. I ate it up in a few hours. A million stars as always for Katherine Center!!
January 15, 2026
I swear she puts crack in her books
December 18, 2025
One kiss. One fucking kiss, and it rocked my whole damn world.
Could this be a 6 star read for me?? I cannot emphasize how much I love this book. Friends to lovers always gets to me, but this was exceptional! I loved every minute of this. So many hilarious situations, so much scheming, so many adorable family interactions…and boy was that man in love.
Like you know what’s coming…you know it’ll be a happy ending…and yet I was KICKING MY FEET AND GIGGLING at every interaction!! The first few chapters start with a bang, and when I tell you I was GIDDY, I’m not lying. I wish I could tell you what scene made me absolutely know I was going to love this book, but let’s just say a church, a wedding dress, and a journey to the Jeep. Please do yourself a favor and read this book when it comes out. I have so much I want to say about the character arcs and certain scenes/interactions, but I don’t want to spoil anything. Enjoy the ride. 🫶🏻
~Thanks to NetGalley and Katherine Center/team for the ARC!~
Could this be a 6 star read for me?? I cannot emphasize how much I love this book. Friends to lovers always gets to me, but this was exceptional! I loved every minute of this. So many hilarious situations, so much scheming, so many adorable family interactions…and boy was that man in love.
Like you know what’s coming…you know it’ll be a happy ending…and yet I was KICKING MY FEET AND GIGGLING at every interaction!! The first few chapters start with a bang, and when I tell you I was GIDDY, I’m not lying. I wish I could tell you what scene made me absolutely know I was going to love this book, but let’s just say a church, a wedding dress, and a journey to the Jeep. Please do yourself a favor and read this book when it comes out. I have so much I want to say about the character arcs and certain scenes/interactions, but I don’t want to spoil anything. Enjoy the ride. 🫶🏻
~Thanks to NetGalley and Katherine Center/team for the ARC!~
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I have loved every book by Katherine Center that I've read and The Shippers is no different. This will be the perfect beach read when its released next year. The story is (mostly) light and funny, the characters are loveable and make you want to root fot them from the start, and the setting for most of the book is a cruise ship. I do find it infuriating when the 2 main characters could solve their biggest problems by just saying/communicating the thing (whatever the thing is lol), but it also find that its so much like real life that it just works. Plus, without some kind of conflict there wouldn't be a story there at all.
If you love Katherine Center's writing and all the entertaining shenanigans that includes, you'll love this book!
I have loved every book by Katherine Center that I've read and The Shippers is no different. This will be the perfect beach read when its released next year. The story is (mostly) light and funny, the characters are loveable and make you want to root fot them from the start, and the setting for most of the book is a cruise ship. I do find it infuriating when the 2 main characters could solve their biggest problems by just saying/communicating the thing (whatever the thing is lol), but it also find that its so much like real life that it just works. Plus, without some kind of conflict there wouldn't be a story there at all.
If you love Katherine Center's writing and all the entertaining shenanigans that includes, you'll love this book!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
As a reader of many books, occasionally, a well-loved author falls short, but this has yet to happen with Katherine Center. I absolutely LOVE her books, and each one is better than the last. I loved the main characters, and the story sucked me in from the beginning. I couldn't put it down and finished in one sitting. If you're a romcom fan, I highly recommend this one.
December 3, 2025
The Shippers
By Katherine Center
4.5 stars
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
A delightful read! A Fresh and charming rom com, with enough emotional depth to never feel like fluff. Compared to Center's other books, this has a bit more levity, and it really works here. 💙
Center makes a cruiseship the perfect forced proximity set up for a rom com. It's like you're in a fish bowl with the characters and get a 360 degree view of the action. 🚢
The book immediately drops you into an at-the-altar crisis, and the book never loses steam from there. No lulls. And, the main characters spend most of the story on page together (🙌).
Both the FMC and MMC are quirky and lovable. They're *good* people, and it feels good to root for good people sometimes. 💕
The secondary characters in this story are a standout. The FMC's father is comically dense. Her cousin, Harmony, is like a neurodiverse, Gen Z version of Wednesday Addams. Grandma Dodie is the hip, effervescent senior we all hope to become. These characters somehow feel essential to Center's successful execution of the story. They help the story feel rich, eccentric, and comedic.
Minor gripe: There's a fair bit of hair-pulling MISCOMMUNICATION in the story. However, the sweetness and humor of the story largely overcome those moments.
I highly recommend this book and anticipate it will appeal to alot of romance readers. (And, I think it's better than her last book!) 💞📚
Publish date: May 19, 2026
(Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy!)
@juliereadsromance
By Katherine Center
4.5 stars
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
A delightful read! A Fresh and charming rom com, with enough emotional depth to never feel like fluff. Compared to Center's other books, this has a bit more levity, and it really works here. 💙
Center makes a cruiseship the perfect forced proximity set up for a rom com. It's like you're in a fish bowl with the characters and get a 360 degree view of the action. 🚢
The book immediately drops you into an at-the-altar crisis, and the book never loses steam from there. No lulls. And, the main characters spend most of the story on page together (🙌).
Both the FMC and MMC are quirky and lovable. They're *good* people, and it feels good to root for good people sometimes. 💕
The secondary characters in this story are a standout. The FMC's father is comically dense. Her cousin, Harmony, is like a neurodiverse, Gen Z version of Wednesday Addams. Grandma Dodie is the hip, effervescent senior we all hope to become. These characters somehow feel essential to Center's successful execution of the story. They help the story feel rich, eccentric, and comedic.
Minor gripe: There's a fair bit of hair-pulling MISCOMMUNICATION in the story. However, the sweetness and humor of the story largely overcome those moments.
I highly recommend this book and anticipate it will appeal to alot of romance readers. (And, I think it's better than her last book!) 💞📚
Publish date: May 19, 2026
(Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy!)
@juliereadsromance
January 5, 2026
4.5
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This book was soooo cute and so funny i loved it so much. The two main characters had chemistry off the WALLS and it was honestly so refreshing to read. The beginning was so fresh and organic and then the story launches into a sweet and funny love story. Even the side characters romance plot was super sweet and funny. I highly recommend this book to everyone and it should definitely be on your summer tbr.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This book was soooo cute and so funny i loved it so much. The two main characters had chemistry off the WALLS and it was honestly so refreshing to read. The beginning was so fresh and organic and then the story launches into a sweet and funny love story. Even the side characters romance plot was super sweet and funny. I highly recommend this book to everyone and it should definitely be on your summer tbr.
December 27, 2025
I was disappointed by this one. It felt very immature and just basic honestly. I didn’t connect to the characters at all. I definitely preferred her earlier books.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received an ARC through Netgalley of The Shippers by Katherine Center. It is a 5 star read! I absolutely loved it. It was a romantic comedy, it had me laughing out loud in places. Yes, there were a lot of misunderstandings and miscommunication but that's what happens in life too, so for me that is relatable. I liked JoJo and Cooper characters and will definitely read this again when it comes out.
December 9, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Katherine Center is one of my absolute favorite authors. I swear I’d read anything she writes, even her grocery list. The Shippers was no exception. This book was completely adorable from start to finish.
It’s a second-chance romance with childhood friends Jojo and Cooper reconnecting on a cruise ship, and I loved them from the very beginning. Their chemistry, the nostalgia, and the setting all worked perfectly together. The story had that signature Katherine Center charm: heartfelt, sweet, and full of moments that just make you smile.
A definite 5-star read for me. If you love romance with heart, humor, and characters you root for immediately, The Shippers is a must-read!
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Katherine Center is one of my absolute favorite authors. I swear I’d read anything she writes, even her grocery list. The Shippers was no exception. This book was completely adorable from start to finish.
It’s a second-chance romance with childhood friends Jojo and Cooper reconnecting on a cruise ship, and I loved them from the very beginning. Their chemistry, the nostalgia, and the setting all worked perfectly together. The story had that signature Katherine Center charm: heartfelt, sweet, and full of moments that just make you smile.
A definite 5-star read for me. If you love romance with heart, humor, and characters you root for immediately, The Shippers is a must-read!
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