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Let's Not Go Overboard Here
In this twisty, uproarious debut for fans of The Wedding People and Traitors, a pop culture obsessive uses her reality TV expertise to investigate a suspicious disappearance aboard a yacht — while falling for a hot deckhand and avoiding confronting her best friend’s untimely passing.
This is a story about a definitely dead girl, a possibly dead girl and a living dead girl. All aboard.
There are a lot of things that pop-culture aficionado Melanie Hoffman is great at: rattling off storylines from The Real Housewives, reciting the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen filmography from memory, and quoting Gossip Girl like it’s The Godfather, to name a few. And then there are the things she’s not good at: maintaining a healthy work-life balance, sleeping (in general), and being a functioning adult who isn’t completely destroyed by the death of her best friend, Ari. Mel has accepted that nothing will ever fill the crater-sized hole that Ari’s absence has left behind, and the cork on her grief is stopped tight. But then her company requires Mel to take a mandatory vacation. Cue the explosion.
Desperate to avoid two weeks alone with her thoughts, Mel joins her friend Vish on a yacht trip in Greece chartered by his tech company. It’s the Below Deck fantasy of Mel’s dreams, with built-in quasi-celebrities to fixate on in the form of the posh co-founders of Vish’s company. Mel has done enough social media stalking to immediately typecast the fabulous yet fragile Freya, her arrogant boyfriend Seb, and the hardworking and humble Ollie. A luxurious yacht chockful of hot, rich Brits? Mel couldn’t dream up a better distraction from her sorrow. But Mel’s dream quickly plunges into nightmarish waters when a sinister conversation overheard in the dead of night convinces Mel that Freya is in danger. And when Freya turns up missing the next morning, Mel immediately clocks what happened with the skill of a rabid true crime fan: Freya was murdered, and Seb is the prime suspect.
But Freya’s disappearance doesn’t rock the boat in the way Mel is expecting. In fact, no one else onboard seems to think anything’s fishy. Mel’s concern for Freya grows into obsession, and she becomes dead set on saving Freya’s life like she couldn’t save Ari’s. Though her pop culture analysis skills uncover obvious cracks in the other passengers’ alibis, Mel’s desperation threatens to crack her own sanity first. With her time left on the yacht quickly dwindling, Mel must uncover what happened to Freya before going under herself.
This is a story about a definitely dead girl, a possibly dead girl and a living dead girl. All aboard.
There are a lot of things that pop-culture aficionado Melanie Hoffman is great at: rattling off storylines from The Real Housewives, reciting the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen filmography from memory, and quoting Gossip Girl like it’s The Godfather, to name a few. And then there are the things she’s not good at: maintaining a healthy work-life balance, sleeping (in general), and being a functioning adult who isn’t completely destroyed by the death of her best friend, Ari. Mel has accepted that nothing will ever fill the crater-sized hole that Ari’s absence has left behind, and the cork on her grief is stopped tight. But then her company requires Mel to take a mandatory vacation. Cue the explosion.
Desperate to avoid two weeks alone with her thoughts, Mel joins her friend Vish on a yacht trip in Greece chartered by his tech company. It’s the Below Deck fantasy of Mel’s dreams, with built-in quasi-celebrities to fixate on in the form of the posh co-founders of Vish’s company. Mel has done enough social media stalking to immediately typecast the fabulous yet fragile Freya, her arrogant boyfriend Seb, and the hardworking and humble Ollie. A luxurious yacht chockful of hot, rich Brits? Mel couldn’t dream up a better distraction from her sorrow. But Mel’s dream quickly plunges into nightmarish waters when a sinister conversation overheard in the dead of night convinces Mel that Freya is in danger. And when Freya turns up missing the next morning, Mel immediately clocks what happened with the skill of a rabid true crime fan: Freya was murdered, and Seb is the prime suspect.
But Freya’s disappearance doesn’t rock the boat in the way Mel is expecting. In fact, no one else onboard seems to think anything’s fishy. Mel’s concern for Freya grows into obsession, and she becomes dead set on saving Freya’s life like she couldn’t save Ari’s. Though her pop culture analysis skills uncover obvious cracks in the other passengers’ alibis, Mel’s desperation threatens to crack her own sanity first. With her time left on the yacht quickly dwindling, Mel must uncover what happened to Freya before going under herself.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 2, 2026
About the author
Erica Hendry
2 books59 followersErica Hendry is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and lives in Los Angeles, where she works as a creative director. LET'S NOT GO OVERBOARD HERE is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews
June 10, 2026
as a fan of bravo and pop culture in general, i thought all of the references in here were a fun touch! if you’re not into that, i don’t think you’d enjoy it as much.. basically a murder mystery on a private yacht (think sinister Below Deck lol) but told in a very lighthearted and fun way. the book itself was short which i am thankful for, wasn’t a favorite of mine but like i said if you enjoy Bravo/pop culture, could be a quick & fun read for you!
June 18, 2026
3.5 stars, genre defying—romance, mystery, adventure, and learning how to deal with grief.
Melanie Hoffman is still reeling from the death of her lifelong best friend Ari. She buries herself in her work as an attorney, but her company forces her to take her acquired time off. Melanie reluctantly accepts a trip on a yacht in Greece with another college friend Vish, chartered by his tech company on the verge of going public. Melanie and Ari had a long history of reality television and celeb watching, so Melanie is already very familiar with the company's three founders from their social media. When one of the three disappears under mysterious circumstances, Mel decides to investigate on her own--with mixed results.
It's difficult to capture the essence of this book with only a short paragraph. Mel goes on board thinking this will be like Below Deck, and what she encounters is anything but that. Does she find romance? Yes. Does she get embroiled in a mystery that might end badly for her? Also yes. I found Mel to be equally interesting, sympathetic, and annoying. The annoying parts are what made me not like the book as much.
I was surprised at how touched I was with the parts of this book dealing with grief. There's a surprising amount of depth and poignancy in those sections. But there's also a great deal of humor when Mel is investigating with the help of the people back home. I laughed out loud many times with those sections.
The book does go a bit overboard (pun intended) with the pop culture references, and some readers might glaze over with how prevalent they are. Since I am not familiar with some of the references they seemed overwhelming to me, which is why I rounded the rating down rather than up. If you can get past that to the core of the story, this is a really entertaining and sometimes affecting novel with a wild conclusion. I definitely would not skip it just based on my rating!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Melanie Hoffman is still reeling from the death of her lifelong best friend Ari. She buries herself in her work as an attorney, but her company forces her to take her acquired time off. Melanie reluctantly accepts a trip on a yacht in Greece with another college friend Vish, chartered by his tech company on the verge of going public. Melanie and Ari had a long history of reality television and celeb watching, so Melanie is already very familiar with the company's three founders from their social media. When one of the three disappears under mysterious circumstances, Mel decides to investigate on her own--with mixed results.
It's difficult to capture the essence of this book with only a short paragraph. Mel goes on board thinking this will be like Below Deck, and what she encounters is anything but that. Does she find romance? Yes. Does she get embroiled in a mystery that might end badly for her? Also yes. I found Mel to be equally interesting, sympathetic, and annoying. The annoying parts are what made me not like the book as much.
I was surprised at how touched I was with the parts of this book dealing with grief. There's a surprising amount of depth and poignancy in those sections. But there's also a great deal of humor when Mel is investigating with the help of the people back home. I laughed out loud many times with those sections.
The book does go a bit overboard (pun intended) with the pop culture references, and some readers might glaze over with how prevalent they are. Since I am not familiar with some of the references they seemed overwhelming to me, which is why I rounded the rating down rather than up. If you can get past that to the core of the story, this is a really entertaining and sometimes affecting novel with a wild conclusion. I definitely would not skip it just based on my rating!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Unfortunately this did not work for me.
The plot is interesting, it is funny at times, and I liked some of the references, even though the pop culture aspect felt more like than the whole point of the book than a simple part of it.
But the characters were just bad. The secondary ones are flat and one dimensional, and the main character is just so annoying. Her internal dialogue is boring and repetitive, and her interactions with other are insufferable.
I believe it can be can be entertaining but I expected better writing.
Thank you Grand Central Publishing for this ARC.
The plot is interesting, it is funny at times, and I liked some of the references, even though the pop culture aspect felt more like than the whole point of the book than a simple part of it.
But the characters were just bad. The secondary ones are flat and one dimensional, and the main character is just so annoying. Her internal dialogue is boring and repetitive, and her interactions with other are insufferable.
I believe it can be can be entertaining but I expected better writing.
Thank you Grand Central Publishing for this ARC.
January 31, 2026
I LOVED this. This is a really humorous book, full of pop culture references, that could initially seem frivolous on a superficial level — but, “below deck,” it’s also a very moving and deftly wrought novel about grief and loss, millennial style.
Mel is an attorney in her 30s who’s been lost in a Bravo-tinged haze of grieving since Ari, her very best friend since childhood, died of cancer. Mel and Ari shared a very Diana and Anne of Green Gables-esque, Kindred Spirit type of friendship after first bonding through a heartfelt debate over the supremacy of NSYNC vs. Backstreet Boys.** They continued to indulge in this shared passion for all things pop culture throughout their relationship, leaning hard into it in difficult times and especially during Ari’s illness. Now, devastated and bereft, Mel endeavors to stuff her emotions and stifle her thoughts by filling her free time with mundane tasks like repeatedly snaking the shower drain — and, of course, obsessively wandering that shadowy Limbo that constitutes the Bravoverse.
Until, that is, with encouragement of her best law school friend Vish, her work wife Haeyoon, her handsomely nervous (or nervously handsome) HR rep Bobby, and her sort-of sibling-in-law Kellie (Ari’s intimidating older sister), Mel steps in as Vish’s plus-one on his work-related Grecian yachting corporate retreat arranged by the wealthy celebrity socialites of his company's C-Suite. Unfortunately, the tech startup Vish works for — some kind of elite online social forum that defies human understanding — is helmed by a possibly nefarious Adam Neumann type who looks like Dickie Greenleaf in The Talented Mr. Ripley. Things on the yacht start out cool, but quickly get all, like, uncool, and Mel soon throws her reality TV-fueled detective skills into unearthing Receipts! Proof! Timeline! Screenshots!
Have I mentioned that I adore this book? It’s very rare to find a novel that really nails the excruciation of mourning, litfic style, while remaining entertaining, thrilling, and a bit romantic, much less extremely funny. The writing itself is great, the characters are excellent and amusing, and there are really heartwarming and realistic friendships and found family elements. Most impressively, the pop culture references woven throughout are not merely schtick: They are relevant to the protagonist’s character development and backstory and to the plot and mystery at hand. They are like Miss Marple’s knitting, Kay Scarpetta’s cooking, Sherlock Holmes’s violin (or cocaine), or Harry Bosch’s jazz. They also serve to address how reality TV and other pop culture outlets can be seductive sources of distraction, escape, and soothing during trying or lonely times — especially for many millennials whose timing allowed them to be born right into the clutches of this emergent comforting brain candy.
In other reviews, I’ve called some books “cilantro” because people are bound to either love or hate them. This may well be the case here: if a reader has managed to evade multiple high pop culture moments over the past three decades, they may well require an annotated companion volume, as one might reference when reading Ulysses. More realistically, I suspect readers already aware of their dislike of or unfamiliarity with this content will simply choose not to order the entree that comes dressed in Aji Verde; the rest of us know who we are, and we’ll eat it up like dessert. If you love this type of material, even if guiltily so, or have turned to it in periods of hardship, this book is really something to be experienced and it will make you feel seen.
All that being said, I do feel it’s important to point out that many beloved novels profusely employ cultural references without becoming inaccessible or unenjoyable. There’s no way everyone who loves The Secret History was a Rory Gilmore Ivy League English major who understood its trillions of references to classical literature and philosophy. American Psycho, Ready Player One, High Fidelity, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow are also respected and appreciated novels that generously and purposefully integrate pop culture references and that are holding up over time.
All that being said, it may behoove you to have a passing familiarity with not only some of Andy Cohen’s stable of major Bravolebrities (oxymoronic as that may be), but also some of the salient pop culture happenings of, say, at least Taylor's ten main Eras to the present day, including but not limited to things like the Real Housewives and Below Deck franchises as well as (classic) Vanderpump Rules, reality competition shows like Survivor along with other contemporary TV series, pop music hits and moments, and celebrity feuds, breakups, and scams. You will likely appreciate this book more if you understand the character implications of someone looking like Jax Taylor, or why Mel was repeatedly triggered by hearing constant media mentions of the name “Ariana” throughout the final two thirds of 2023 in the wake of Ari's death. If you cannot grok the significance of Lindsay Hubbard talking about sandwiches or “being activated” in her T-Mobile commercial, some of this book may be lost on you.
While this book may be an acquired taste, it’s also diamonds and rosé, bananas, Gone With the Wind fabulous. There’s nothing grey about its gardens. I die.
Here’s hoping this could be the first installment in a series — the “Broken Brains” series, maybe? It has all the requisite components. I’d read them all!
**The correct answer is Backstreet, as “I Want It That Way” is one of the best key-changing, lyrically nonsensical bangers of late 90s pop.
Many thanks to the author, NetGalley, and Grand Central Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Let’s Not Go Overboard Here is scheduled for release on June 2, 2026.
Mel is an attorney in her 30s who’s been lost in a Bravo-tinged haze of grieving since Ari, her very best friend since childhood, died of cancer. Mel and Ari shared a very Diana and Anne of Green Gables-esque, Kindred Spirit type of friendship after first bonding through a heartfelt debate over the supremacy of NSYNC vs. Backstreet Boys.** They continued to indulge in this shared passion for all things pop culture throughout their relationship, leaning hard into it in difficult times and especially during Ari’s illness. Now, devastated and bereft, Mel endeavors to stuff her emotions and stifle her thoughts by filling her free time with mundane tasks like repeatedly snaking the shower drain — and, of course, obsessively wandering that shadowy Limbo that constitutes the Bravoverse.
Until, that is, with encouragement of her best law school friend Vish, her work wife Haeyoon, her handsomely nervous (or nervously handsome) HR rep Bobby, and her sort-of sibling-in-law Kellie (Ari’s intimidating older sister), Mel steps in as Vish’s plus-one on his work-related Grecian yachting corporate retreat arranged by the wealthy celebrity socialites of his company's C-Suite. Unfortunately, the tech startup Vish works for — some kind of elite online social forum that defies human understanding — is helmed by a possibly nefarious Adam Neumann type who looks like Dickie Greenleaf in The Talented Mr. Ripley. Things on the yacht start out cool, but quickly get all, like, uncool, and Mel soon throws her reality TV-fueled detective skills into unearthing Receipts! Proof! Timeline! Screenshots!
Have I mentioned that I adore this book? It’s very rare to find a novel that really nails the excruciation of mourning, litfic style, while remaining entertaining, thrilling, and a bit romantic, much less extremely funny. The writing itself is great, the characters are excellent and amusing, and there are really heartwarming and realistic friendships and found family elements. Most impressively, the pop culture references woven throughout are not merely schtick: They are relevant to the protagonist’s character development and backstory and to the plot and mystery at hand. They are like Miss Marple’s knitting, Kay Scarpetta’s cooking, Sherlock Holmes’s violin (or cocaine), or Harry Bosch’s jazz. They also serve to address how reality TV and other pop culture outlets can be seductive sources of distraction, escape, and soothing during trying or lonely times — especially for many millennials whose timing allowed them to be born right into the clutches of this emergent comforting brain candy.
In other reviews, I’ve called some books “cilantro” because people are bound to either love or hate them. This may well be the case here: if a reader has managed to evade multiple high pop culture moments over the past three decades, they may well require an annotated companion volume, as one might reference when reading Ulysses. More realistically, I suspect readers already aware of their dislike of or unfamiliarity with this content will simply choose not to order the entree that comes dressed in Aji Verde; the rest of us know who we are, and we’ll eat it up like dessert. If you love this type of material, even if guiltily so, or have turned to it in periods of hardship, this book is really something to be experienced and it will make you feel seen.
All that being said, I do feel it’s important to point out that many beloved novels profusely employ cultural references without becoming inaccessible or unenjoyable. There’s no way everyone who loves The Secret History was a Rory Gilmore Ivy League English major who understood its trillions of references to classical literature and philosophy. American Psycho, Ready Player One, High Fidelity, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow are also respected and appreciated novels that generously and purposefully integrate pop culture references and that are holding up over time.
All that being said, it may behoove you to have a passing familiarity with not only some of Andy Cohen’s stable of major Bravolebrities (oxymoronic as that may be), but also some of the salient pop culture happenings of, say, at least Taylor's ten main Eras to the present day, including but not limited to things like the Real Housewives and Below Deck franchises as well as (classic) Vanderpump Rules, reality competition shows like Survivor along with other contemporary TV series, pop music hits and moments, and celebrity feuds, breakups, and scams. You will likely appreciate this book more if you understand the character implications of someone looking like Jax Taylor, or why Mel was repeatedly triggered by hearing constant media mentions of the name “Ariana” throughout the final two thirds of 2023 in the wake of Ari's death. If you cannot grok the significance of Lindsay Hubbard talking about sandwiches or “being activated” in her T-Mobile commercial, some of this book may be lost on you.
While this book may be an acquired taste, it’s also diamonds and rosé, bananas, Gone With the Wind fabulous. There’s nothing grey about its gardens. I die.
Here’s hoping this could be the first installment in a series — the “Broken Brains” series, maybe? It has all the requisite components. I’d read them all!
**The correct answer is Backstreet, as “I Want It That Way” is one of the best key-changing, lyrically nonsensical bangers of late 90s pop.
Many thanks to the author, NetGalley, and Grand Central Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Let’s Not Go Overboard Here is scheduled for release on June 2, 2026.
December 5, 2025
The wit and the humanity will have you laughing and in the feels. Well researched and better executed. It was such a fun, suspenseful read with a lot to think about when it comes to grief, living, and our private lives.
June 6, 2026
Very much white millennial core with the amount of pop culture references and having Taylor Swift lyrics be the catalyst to solving the mystery. The writing itself wasn't too bad, but it was surprisingly more simple than I was expecting and it made the reading experience a tad underwhelming.
The characters weren't written any better honestly, they were all flat and underdeveloped. I found the exploration of grief in this too to be shockingly shallow. I'm just a bit disappointed because I love to read books about grief and grieving people and I'm mad this didn't live up to expectations.
Thank you Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review
The characters weren't written any better honestly, they were all flat and underdeveloped. I found the exploration of grief in this too to be shockingly shallow. I'm just a bit disappointed because I love to read books about grief and grieving people and I'm mad this didn't live up to expectations.
Thank you Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review
June 14, 2026
Cannot imagine how odd or frustrating this book might be to someone who isn't obsessed with Bravo, reality competition shows, or Taylor Swift. Luckily, I'm the center of that Venn diagram, so I loved it.
May 22, 2026
As a fellow Below Deck super fan, much like Mel, I immediately loved the sound of this yacht-based mystery and was particularly intrigued when I saw it be compared to The Wedding People.
I loved all the pop culture references, from Survivor to the Real Housewives, and they didn’t feel shoehorned in, either.
The Greek island and yacht setting worked equally well too, especially if you save it as a beach or summer read.
I was completely on board (pardon the pun) with Mel trying to solve the mystery, especially when no one on board believes her, but when we actually discover what had happened to Freya it wasn’t as rewarding a reveal as it could have been.
I get why the perpetrator was out for himself, but at the same time it didn’t make a whole lot of sense.
And as I expected, when you realise the kind of people who are on board, they’re that rich and out of touch, that you kind of don’t care what happens to them.
The Sherlock Hoes were great, though, and seeing Mel deal with her grief did add another layer to everything, which worked well.
I’d definitely be keen to read what this author releases next, especially with this being her debut. She certainly has a great voice, that’s for sure.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved all the pop culture references, from Survivor to the Real Housewives, and they didn’t feel shoehorned in, either.
The Greek island and yacht setting worked equally well too, especially if you save it as a beach or summer read.
I was completely on board (pardon the pun) with Mel trying to solve the mystery, especially when no one on board believes her, but when we actually discover what had happened to Freya it wasn’t as rewarding a reveal as it could have been.
I get why the perpetrator was out for himself, but at the same time it didn’t make a whole lot of sense.
And as I expected, when you realise the kind of people who are on board, they’re that rich and out of touch, that you kind of don’t care what happens to them.
The Sherlock Hoes were great, though, and seeing Mel deal with her grief did add another layer to everything, which worked well.
I’d definitely be keen to read what this author releases next, especially with this being her debut. She certainly has a great voice, that’s for sure.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 20, 2026
3.5⭐️ Not a bad story but you really need to be willing to fight your way through some serious millennial humor and pop culture references.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.75
setting: Greece
rep: bisexual Jewish protagonist
this is a truly great debut and a fab addition to this genre of messy millennial meets mystery. I really enjoyed Mel's voice and how this wasn't empty-headed. there's a lot of heart in here with her grief and ari and I'll look forward to whatever Erica Hendry writes next!
setting: Greece
rep: bisexual Jewish protagonist
this is a truly great debut and a fab addition to this genre of messy millennial meets mystery. I really enjoyed Mel's voice and how this wasn't empty-headed. there's a lot of heart in here with her grief and ari and I'll look forward to whatever Erica Hendry writes next!
June 2, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Erica Hendry for allowing me an advanced reader copy of “Let’s Not Go Overboard Here”. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I had THE BEST time reading “Let’s Not Go Overboard Here”!
I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump lately, and this book was original, fun, and unique enough to bring my zest for reading back to life.
This yacht murder mystery was such a perfect book to start the summer with— the summer vibes were immaculate. This book takes place either in L.A. or on a yacht in the Mediterranean Sea, and Erica Hendry did a perfect job of helping us feel like we are THERE and truly experiencing both locales. It was such a fun escape, even when it was emotional, haphazard, or stressful as heck.
The main character, Mel, is recovering from extreme grief, and this book does an amazing job of helping us to experience and understand the pain she faces on a daily basis— pain that often makes her uncertain of what she’s experiencing or feeling, which makes for an interesting play on an unreliable narrator. She WANTS to be a reliable narrator, but she’s not even certain of what’s happening in her own head, much less in the external world.
This aspect may not be for everyone, but I found it delightful— “Let’s Not Go Overboard Here” is filled with dozens and dozens of pop culture references, spanning from current day to early 2000s.
Mel and her best friend Ariana are beyond obsessed with all aspects of pop culture, and although I am not very up-to-date on current events or all the happenings on social media, I thought it was really fun to get little snippets of the drama of reality television and pop culture. I thought it was a fun time to experience what it was like to be THIS involved in reality television, where it’s all-consuming and literally the Bible by which Mel and Ari live their lives.
It was just a fun part of this book that I really enjoyed!
The mystery/thriller part of this book was unique and fun and kept me on my toes the entire time, without being too scary! I liked the build-up and I appreciated the plot twists, and it was also fun to experience a whacky murder mystery from the perspective of an unreliable narrator that’s uncertain of what she’s seeing, experiencing, thinking.
The characters were so off-the-wall— a mix of ridiculously rich and delusional socialites and dedicated and serious yacht staff— and I loved being a part of these extravagant and completely exceptional lifestyles for a short time.
I truly don’t know that I would’ve changed ANYTHING about “Let’s Not Go Overboard Here”!
It had me laughing, actually crying at times, and on the edge of my seat— I LOVED it.
100% recommend to anyone that’s looking for a unique and fun thriller!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I had THE BEST time reading “Let’s Not Go Overboard Here”!
I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump lately, and this book was original, fun, and unique enough to bring my zest for reading back to life.
This yacht murder mystery was such a perfect book to start the summer with— the summer vibes were immaculate. This book takes place either in L.A. or on a yacht in the Mediterranean Sea, and Erica Hendry did a perfect job of helping us feel like we are THERE and truly experiencing both locales. It was such a fun escape, even when it was emotional, haphazard, or stressful as heck.
The main character, Mel, is recovering from extreme grief, and this book does an amazing job of helping us to experience and understand the pain she faces on a daily basis— pain that often makes her uncertain of what she’s experiencing or feeling, which makes for an interesting play on an unreliable narrator. She WANTS to be a reliable narrator, but she’s not even certain of what’s happening in her own head, much less in the external world.
This aspect may not be for everyone, but I found it delightful— “Let’s Not Go Overboard Here” is filled with dozens and dozens of pop culture references, spanning from current day to early 2000s.
Mel and her best friend Ariana are beyond obsessed with all aspects of pop culture, and although I am not very up-to-date on current events or all the happenings on social media, I thought it was really fun to get little snippets of the drama of reality television and pop culture. I thought it was a fun time to experience what it was like to be THIS involved in reality television, where it’s all-consuming and literally the Bible by which Mel and Ari live their lives.
It was just a fun part of this book that I really enjoyed!
The mystery/thriller part of this book was unique and fun and kept me on my toes the entire time, without being too scary! I liked the build-up and I appreciated the plot twists, and it was also fun to experience a whacky murder mystery from the perspective of an unreliable narrator that’s uncertain of what she’s seeing, experiencing, thinking.
The characters were so off-the-wall— a mix of ridiculously rich and delusional socialites and dedicated and serious yacht staff— and I loved being a part of these extravagant and completely exceptional lifestyles for a short time.
I truly don’t know that I would’ve changed ANYTHING about “Let’s Not Go Overboard Here”!
It had me laughing, actually crying at times, and on the edge of my seat— I LOVED it.
100% recommend to anyone that’s looking for a unique and fun thriller!
June 10, 2026
I had a good time with this one. If you’re a millennial who speaks fluent Taylor Swift lyrics, Bravo drama, Survivor strategy, and reality TV references, this book was basically written for you. It felt like a fun mashup of a yacht mystery and a reality show binge watch, and honestly, it was exactly the palate cleanser I was looking for.
At first, I thought Mel was a little ridiculous. She becomes convinced something terrible has happened and I kept thinking, “How did you get there?” But as the story unfolds and you learn more about the grief she’s carrying after the loss of her best friend, a lot of her behavior starts to make more sense. The mystery itself was entertaining, and I enjoyed following the clues while watching Mel work through some of those layers of loss.
The whole thing gave me a bit of an Agatha Christie vibe, if Agatha Christie were a millennial obsessed with reality TV and Taylor Swift. No, this isn’t a serious literary masterpiece, but it never tries to be. Sometimes I just want a book that’s fun, entertaining, and doesn’t take itself too seriously, and this absolutely delivered.
I listened on audio, and Helen Laser was incredible. The range of voices and accents she pulled off was honestly impressive. Scottish, Australian, male, female, she completely disappeared into every character. I’d give the book 3.5 to 3.75 stars, but the audiobook narration was easily 4.5 stars, maybe even 5.
At first, I thought Mel was a little ridiculous. She becomes convinced something terrible has happened and I kept thinking, “How did you get there?” But as the story unfolds and you learn more about the grief she’s carrying after the loss of her best friend, a lot of her behavior starts to make more sense. The mystery itself was entertaining, and I enjoyed following the clues while watching Mel work through some of those layers of loss.
The whole thing gave me a bit of an Agatha Christie vibe, if Agatha Christie were a millennial obsessed with reality TV and Taylor Swift. No, this isn’t a serious literary masterpiece, but it never tries to be. Sometimes I just want a book that’s fun, entertaining, and doesn’t take itself too seriously, and this absolutely delivered.
I listened on audio, and Helen Laser was incredible. The range of voices and accents she pulled off was honestly impressive. Scottish, Australian, male, female, she completely disappeared into every character. I’d give the book 3.5 to 3.75 stars, but the audiobook narration was easily 4.5 stars, maybe even 5.
June 21, 2026
A rollicking debut that sees a bisexual lawyer grieving her best friend's death embarking on a forced vacation with her gay pal who works aboard a mega yacht. While on board Melanie has to navigate new feelings for one of the crew, work at keeping her friendship intact and also solve a suspected murder with the help of her Below Decks knowledge. Fun with a great balance of hijinks, suspense, pop culture references and emotional depth. This was also good on audio narrated by Helen Laser and perfect for fans of books like Wedding people or Never been better. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
June 12, 2026
Brb about to binge below deck!
This gave me Cara bastone’s promise me sunshine vibes with a little mystery and on a boat with more pop culture references.
Although it deals with grief it was a fun read. I loved the references. Our fmc Mel is a big bravo head and I don’t think I would’ve liked this book as much if i hadn’t gotten sucked into real housewives universe
This gave me Cara bastone’s promise me sunshine vibes with a little mystery and on a boat with more pop culture references.
Although it deals with grief it was a fun read. I loved the references. Our fmc Mel is a big bravo head and I don’t think I would’ve liked this book as much if i hadn’t gotten sucked into real housewives universe
June 23, 2026
This was a fun read with a very strong beginning and sunny summer vibes. However, the who and the why of the mystery were a little disappointing.
GR Seasonal Reading Challenge 2026: Pride Picks
GR Seasonal Reading Challenge 2026: Pride Picks
Did Not Finish
June 25, 2026DNF bc it was a bit too woke for me personally
June 1, 2026
Let’s Not Go Overboard by Erica Hendry is exactly the kind of debut that makes you sit up and go: oh, this is going to be a summer favorite. It’s sharp, gossipy, wildly entertaining, and immediately confident in its voice. At its core, it follows Melanie Hoffman, a pop culture obsessed woman who knows every Housewives storyline, can quote Gossip Girl like scripture, and processes the world through reality TV logic—until a luxury yacht trip in Greece spirals into something far more sinister when a guest goes missing. What starts as a chaotic, sun drenched escape quickly turns into a twisted investigation, blending satire, suspense, and emotional depth in a way that feels fresh and addictive.
What really elevates this book beyond a fun “rich people on a boat” mystery is how thoughtfully it handles grief. Melanie’s obsession with pop culture isn’t just a personality trait, it’s armor. Her unresolved grief over her best friend Ari runs under every observation she makes, every theory she builds, and every suspect she profiles. The book balances that emotional weight with genuinely funny writing and a sharp, almost compulsive awareness of how we consume stories now—through Bravo, through celebrity culture, through internet sleuthing. And if you’re a Swiftie or Bravo fan or just chronically online, the references land like little Easter eggs throughout, making it feel like the book is speaking a shared language of fandom, nostalgia, and parasocial comfort.
The yacht setting adds the perfect pressure cooker backdrop: glamorous, isolated, and just unhinged enough to feel like an extended episode of Below Deck gone wrong. There’s a slow building mystery around Freya’s disappearance, a dash of romance with a hot deckhand, and a constant sense that Melanie might be right, or spiraling completely out of control. It’s funny, propulsive, and emotionally resonant in ways that sneak up on you. As a summer read, it hits all the right notes: beachy atmosphere, mystery, humor, and heart. It’s the kind of debut that feels both escapist and surprisingly grounded, and it absolutely delivers on that “pop culture chaos meets emotional reckoning” promise.
What really elevates this book beyond a fun “rich people on a boat” mystery is how thoughtfully it handles grief. Melanie’s obsession with pop culture isn’t just a personality trait, it’s armor. Her unresolved grief over her best friend Ari runs under every observation she makes, every theory she builds, and every suspect she profiles. The book balances that emotional weight with genuinely funny writing and a sharp, almost compulsive awareness of how we consume stories now—through Bravo, through celebrity culture, through internet sleuthing. And if you’re a Swiftie or Bravo fan or just chronically online, the references land like little Easter eggs throughout, making it feel like the book is speaking a shared language of fandom, nostalgia, and parasocial comfort.
The yacht setting adds the perfect pressure cooker backdrop: glamorous, isolated, and just unhinged enough to feel like an extended episode of Below Deck gone wrong. There’s a slow building mystery around Freya’s disappearance, a dash of romance with a hot deckhand, and a constant sense that Melanie might be right, or spiraling completely out of control. It’s funny, propulsive, and emotionally resonant in ways that sneak up on you. As a summer read, it hits all the right notes: beachy atmosphere, mystery, humor, and heart. It’s the kind of debut that feels both escapist and surprisingly grounded, and it absolutely delivers on that “pop culture chaos meets emotional reckoning” promise.
June 3, 2026
⚓️ Let’s Not Go Overboard Here ⚓️
((Spoiler-Free ARC Review))
𝕋𝕚𝕥𝕝𝕖- 𝕃𝕖𝕥'𝕤 ℕ𝕠𝕥 𝔾𝕠 𝕆𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕓𝕠𝕒𝕣𝕕 ℍ𝕖𝕣𝕖
𝔸𝕦𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣- 𝔼𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒 ℍ𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕪
𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕣𝕖- 𝕄𝕪𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕪/ 𝔻𝕒𝕣𝕜 ℍ𝕦𝕞𝕠𝕦𝕣
Trope City-
🍾 Wiity Banter
🍾 Amateur Sleuth
🍾 Vacation Romance
🍾 Yacht Setting
🍾 Missing Person
THE WAY I LAUGHED WHILE READING LET’S NOT GO OVERBOARD HERE. I was cackling. The banter is chef’s kiss. There’s so many nostalgic references to major pop culture moments. Mel (FMC) is a pop culture obsessed lawyer who is deeply grieving after losing her person. She works to numb her pain. After HR forces her to take PTO, Mel (who’s obviously obsessed with Below Deck) agrees to a yacht trip with her friend Vish and his slew of snooty bosses. It becomes apparent to Mel that Freya (one of Vish’s bosses) needs help. When she goes missing, Mel and her group chat “Sherlock Hoes” band together to solve the mystery. So, is Freya dead? Has she been alive this entire time? Has Mel fully lost herself in her state of grief?
ℍ𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕪 ℙ𝕦𝕓 𝔻𝕒𝕪! ♥︎
I’m in love with this one, @ericawroteit Thank you for sharing this with me! @booksparks This is my first book from The BookSparks Reading Challenge 2026 The Book Odyssey! 🍾
There’s and intense debate in the book about whether Backstreet Boys or N*SYNC won out in the battle of the boy bands….
ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻- So are you team Backstreet Boys or Team N*Sync?!
Books • Book Odyssey • Summer Reading • Summer • Book Release • Bookstagram • Yacht Life • Murder Mystery •
#books #murdermystery #tuesday #summer #summerreading
((Spoiler-Free ARC Review))
𝕋𝕚𝕥𝕝𝕖- 𝕃𝕖𝕥'𝕤 ℕ𝕠𝕥 𝔾𝕠 𝕆𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕓𝕠𝕒𝕣𝕕 ℍ𝕖𝕣𝕖
𝔸𝕦𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣- 𝔼𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒 ℍ𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕪
𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕣𝕖- 𝕄𝕪𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕪/ 𝔻𝕒𝕣𝕜 ℍ𝕦𝕞𝕠𝕦𝕣
Trope City-
🍾 Wiity Banter
🍾 Amateur Sleuth
🍾 Vacation Romance
🍾 Yacht Setting
🍾 Missing Person
THE WAY I LAUGHED WHILE READING LET’S NOT GO OVERBOARD HERE. I was cackling. The banter is chef’s kiss. There’s so many nostalgic references to major pop culture moments. Mel (FMC) is a pop culture obsessed lawyer who is deeply grieving after losing her person. She works to numb her pain. After HR forces her to take PTO, Mel (who’s obviously obsessed with Below Deck) agrees to a yacht trip with her friend Vish and his slew of snooty bosses. It becomes apparent to Mel that Freya (one of Vish’s bosses) needs help. When she goes missing, Mel and her group chat “Sherlock Hoes” band together to solve the mystery. So, is Freya dead? Has she been alive this entire time? Has Mel fully lost herself in her state of grief?
ℍ𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕪 ℙ𝕦𝕓 𝔻𝕒𝕪! ♥︎
I’m in love with this one, @ericawroteit Thank you for sharing this with me! @booksparks This is my first book from The BookSparks Reading Challenge 2026 The Book Odyssey! 🍾
There’s and intense debate in the book about whether Backstreet Boys or N*SYNC won out in the battle of the boy bands….
ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻- So are you team Backstreet Boys or Team N*Sync?!
Books • Book Odyssey • Summer Reading • Summer • Book Release • Bookstagram • Yacht Life • Murder Mystery •
#books #murdermystery #tuesday #summer #summerreading
June 29, 2026
CW: Cancer, Grief
I had so much fun reading Let's Not Go Overboard Here by Erica Hendry.
If you are a fan of reality TV, murder mystery, and personal growth this book is for you!
I really enjoyed Mel's sleuthing. It was such a fun interesting way for her to get out of her head and cycle of grief. Mel was really able to heal over her vacation. The mystery was quite thrilling, while also wacky and goofy.
One thing I really thought was well done was the portrayal of grief. I related a lot to Mel wanting to just fill her life with work and constantly doing busy work to avoid giving herself time to stew with her thoughts. Also, Erica Hendry tackles a pretty common kind of grief response, when it hits you out of no where really well. Mel hears "Survivor" at the restaurant with Vish and has a really physical grief response. I found this scene and reaction to be really relatable. My siblings and I sometimes call these kinds of events "sad attacks" where grief kind of hits you out of no where or you're surprised by a response to something.
I didn't realize that this book dealt with a death from cancer. As a cancer survivor I sometimes avoid books that deal with cancer, however I think this one handled it with a lot of grace and realness. I really related to the conversation Ari and Mel have about how Ari doesn't want to be inspirational and not a plot device, but a real person. A lot of young adult cancer patients and survivors often feel like once they get cancer people only see their cancer and not themselves anymore. It was something I personally dealt with. I really appreciated that Hendry brought this to the novel.
I listened to the audiobook and I really thought the narrator did a great job. Helen Laser did a great job narrating all the different characters. The audiobook really made this an addictive read.
Thank you to BookSparks and Grand Central Publishing for the copy of the book to review! This review reflects my own opinions.
I had so much fun reading Let's Not Go Overboard Here by Erica Hendry.
If you are a fan of reality TV, murder mystery, and personal growth this book is for you!
I really enjoyed Mel's sleuthing. It was such a fun interesting way for her to get out of her head and cycle of grief. Mel was really able to heal over her vacation. The mystery was quite thrilling, while also wacky and goofy.
One thing I really thought was well done was the portrayal of grief. I related a lot to Mel wanting to just fill her life with work and constantly doing busy work to avoid giving herself time to stew with her thoughts. Also, Erica Hendry tackles a pretty common kind of grief response, when it hits you out of no where really well. Mel hears "Survivor" at the restaurant with Vish and has a really physical grief response. I found this scene and reaction to be really relatable. My siblings and I sometimes call these kinds of events "sad attacks" where grief kind of hits you out of no where or you're surprised by a response to something.
I didn't realize that this book dealt with a death from cancer. As a cancer survivor I sometimes avoid books that deal with cancer, however I think this one handled it with a lot of grace and realness. I really related to the conversation Ari and Mel have about how Ari doesn't want to be inspirational and not a plot device, but a real person. A lot of young adult cancer patients and survivors often feel like once they get cancer people only see their cancer and not themselves anymore. It was something I personally dealt with. I really appreciated that Hendry brought this to the novel.
I listened to the audiobook and I really thought the narrator did a great job. Helen Laser did a great job narrating all the different characters. The audiobook really made this an addictive read.
Thank you to BookSparks and Grand Central Publishing for the copy of the book to review! This review reflects my own opinions.
June 22, 2026
This is going to be the perfect beach read for a certain kind of person and I am very happy for them. If you can parse the near constant references to gossip magazine pop culture, reality shows (I had to Google to see if Below Deck was a real thing), and Taylor Swift lyrics then you might be that person. I am not. The funny thing is that this was very close to being a compelling character study. The author inadvertently created a fascinating (if off-putting) lead. She was so obviously in romantic love with her best friend, yet her inability to honestly confront those emotions sends her spiraling into madness after her friend’s death. There were so many moments throughout when it seemed like she was finally ready to see through the pain, face her truth, and start to heal. But she never gets there and clearly it wasn’t the author’s intention. Instead her disordered behaviors are validated both by circumstance and another woman who declares her “my kind of crazy.” It’s not meant to be that deep of a book, of course, but it was hard to read it any other way. If the plot was slightly less over-the-top and the author more dialed-in to their characters, this may have been an interesting angle to examine grief and unrequited love.
May 26, 2026
Thank you to #GrandCentralPublishing and #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #LetsNotGoOverboardHere. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Take a reality TV-obsessed woman and stick her on a luxury yacht as the plus 1 on her friend's company celebration and you've got the perfect set-up for an entertaining read.
Mid-30s Melanie is an entertainment lawyer in LA. After her best friend dies, she's struggling to process her grief. So when HR forces her to take time off, Mel agrees to join her friend, Vish, on a chartered yacht in Greece to celebrate his company's impending IPO. Mel expects her reality TV knowledge to help her navigate the dynamics of the rich, tech, quasi-celebrities and the crew who will be serving them. When company co-owner Freya disappears, Mel is certain something sinister has happened and she's going to get to the bottom of it no matter what it takes.
While many will label this as "summer read", it also deals with grief, betrayal and relationships. It gives the story some emotional weight, but doesn't bring it down. I don't watch reality TV, but I like how the author used it as a plot device - tying Melanie to her best friend and giving her "strategies" to investigate and solve the mystery.
Take a reality TV-obsessed woman and stick her on a luxury yacht as the plus 1 on her friend's company celebration and you've got the perfect set-up for an entertaining read.
Mid-30s Melanie is an entertainment lawyer in LA. After her best friend dies, she's struggling to process her grief. So when HR forces her to take time off, Mel agrees to join her friend, Vish, on a chartered yacht in Greece to celebrate his company's impending IPO. Mel expects her reality TV knowledge to help her navigate the dynamics of the rich, tech, quasi-celebrities and the crew who will be serving them. When company co-owner Freya disappears, Mel is certain something sinister has happened and she's going to get to the bottom of it no matter what it takes.
While many will label this as "summer read", it also deals with grief, betrayal and relationships. It gives the story some emotional weight, but doesn't bring it down. I don't watch reality TV, but I like how the author used it as a plot device - tying Melanie to her best friend and giving her "strategies" to investigate and solve the mystery.
June 25, 2026
3.5 ⭐️ a murder(?) mystery on a yacht while a company is also set to go public / have their IPO while on said yacht as part of the event… where the main character navigates her own recent grief, her potential romantic feelings + bisexuality amidst it all, her pop culture obsession, and her distrust of everyone around her. Is there corporate espionage or fraud, or is it just rich people doing what they do and her being paranoid?? And where is the missing woman?
This one was a fun, quick read. I didn’t find myself very attached to any of these characters but I was invested enough by halfway through to want to know how it all turned out and who was behind it! A fun summer read that will definitely make me think twice before boarding a yacht, should I ever have the opportunity.. but it definitely did make me want to watch Below Deck!
Thank you to Grand Central Pub for the gifted copy of this one. All opinions are my own!
This one was a fun, quick read. I didn’t find myself very attached to any of these characters but I was invested enough by halfway through to want to know how it all turned out and who was behind it! A fun summer read that will definitely make me think twice before boarding a yacht, should I ever have the opportunity.. but it definitely did make me want to watch Below Deck!
Thank you to Grand Central Pub for the gifted copy of this one. All opinions are my own!
June 9, 2026
This book was adorable.
Was it corny? Extremely. Like, so-so-so-so corny. But somehow that just made me love it more.
If you're a Bravo fan, you'll have a field day with this book. The reality TV references were everywhere, and it felt like a little love letter to people who know their Housewives, reunions, and reality TV drama.
What I liked most was that this wasn't really a romance. It's more of a friendship story, and honestly, I think that's what made it work for me. The relationships felt genuine, messy, supportive, and fun in a way that reminded me of real friendships.
This book doesn't take itself too seriously, and neither should you. It's light, funny, comforting, and the perfect palate cleanser when you want something entertaining without getting emotionally wrecked.
Cute, corny, full of Bravo references, and a surprisingly sweet story about friendship.
Was it corny? Extremely. Like, so-so-so-so corny. But somehow that just made me love it more.
If you're a Bravo fan, you'll have a field day with this book. The reality TV references were everywhere, and it felt like a little love letter to people who know their Housewives, reunions, and reality TV drama.
What I liked most was that this wasn't really a romance. It's more of a friendship story, and honestly, I think that's what made it work for me. The relationships felt genuine, messy, supportive, and fun in a way that reminded me of real friendships.
This book doesn't take itself too seriously, and neither should you. It's light, funny, comforting, and the perfect palate cleanser when you want something entertaining without getting emotionally wrecked.
Cute, corny, full of Bravo references, and a surprisingly sweet story about friendship.
May 25, 2026
When I started this I was a little afraid it was going to be too full of millennial cringe humor and bad stereotypes. And it kind of was, but in a way that utterly charmed me. This was funny and heartfelt and I was legitimately tearing up at the ending. And the mystery was good too! Loved the romance as well. I read this in basically one sitting, only really taking a break when it was time to watch RHORI, which feels appropriate. Overall, a fun, and occasionally heart-wrenching, read.
June 17, 2026
5 stars simply because of how much fun this book was. Between the pop culture references, a savvy Swiftie side character, and the dark, sarcastic humor that made me genuinely laugh out loud, this may be one of my favorite books I’ve listened to this year. It reminded me of slightly lighter-toned The Wedding People with a murder/mystery thrown in and was exactly the book I needed at this moment in my life. Such a breath of fresh air!
June 25, 2026
Probably sitting somewhere between 3.5 - 4 ⭐️
This one was fun! I enjoyed the audiobook and was the perfect summer vibe story for this heatwave! I thought the portrayal of grief was really well written, and well balanced with the light hearted nature of the book. I liked the mystery a lot and the pop culture references were a fun add in (even if some of them I didnt know) Found one particular part of the book very stressful bc the characters were making silly decisions but all in all enjoyed
This one was fun! I enjoyed the audiobook and was the perfect summer vibe story for this heatwave! I thought the portrayal of grief was really well written, and well balanced with the light hearted nature of the book. I liked the mystery a lot and the pop culture references were a fun add in (even if some of them I didnt know) Found one particular part of the book very stressful bc the characters were making silly decisions but all in all enjoyed
June 10, 2026
3.5 ⭐️ - okay I found this SO fun!!! Think Below Deck murder mystery with tons of pop culture references but in a funny/lighthearted way! I listened to the audiobook and it was really good! I was pulled in pretty quickly and I thoroughly enjoyed it, I found myself laughing out loud so many times! Quick & fun read!
June 3, 2026
3.75 stars. Ok I need to begin this review with a disclaimer. If you are not a person who can follow or tolerate the Gen-Z mindset- (that stream of consciousness communication constantly punctuated with pop culture references), then this book is NOT for you. But if you can follow it/tolerate it, then you will love this book! The writer executes an inner monologue of the main character consistently in that Gen-Z mindset, and what results is a hysterical banter and a pretty fast moving plot that makes for a really good fast read. I listened to the audio while reading the kindle so I could keep up and I enjoyed it! (If you are Gen X or older, you will want to do that too!) If you look deeply, there are some great themes about friendship and processing grief all wrapped up in a whodunit with enough of a decent story to make it worthwhile! It falls short of 4 stars for me because the book is not universal enough for all to connect to but I really enjoyed it.
June 8, 2026
This book’s pop culture references are mainly what got it the rating—but it’s everything I adore. Taylor Swift? Love Island? Gilmore Girls? Miss Congeniality? Sold. The plot kept my interest. The protagonist definitely annoyed me at times, but it all felt worth it.
June 10, 2026
3.5⭐️
this was a quick and fun read and I really enjoyed the pop culture references but may not be for everyone!
this was a quick and fun read and I really enjoyed the pop culture references but may not be for everyone!
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