Ship of Fools

Fandom Hearts #6

by Cathy Yardley, Jay Skelton (Narrator), Serena St. Clair (Narrator)

Ten years ago, two hearts were shattered when Ren Chu broke off a secret engagement with his high school sweetheart Rachel Frost. Getting his Ivy League education and becoming the heir to his family's multi-billion dollar enterprise was a pressure he could not withstand. He promised he'd always be there if Rachel needed him...and Rachel swore that it'd be a cold day in hell before she took him up on that promise.

Now hell has frozen over. When Rachel's sister Cressida has an emergency, she swallows her pride and asks Ren for help. In exchange for getting Cressida out of her jam, Ren asks simply that they catch up when everything calms down. Which leads to a date. Which leads to a kiss that reminds them both of just what they've been missing all these years.

Ren never stopped loving Rachel. Now that she's back in his life, he'll do whatever it takes to keep her there. Rachel is wary, and rightfully so - he's stepped into his rightful place in the family business, working 80-hour weeks and having no social life to speak of.

Rachel is stuck between the desire she's always felt for Ren, and the remembered devastation she felt when he left her high and dry with a ring and an apology. Ren is caught between family obligation and the love of his life. Can this ship set sail, or are they sunk before they even leave the harbor?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Audiobook, Fiction, Steamy, Chick Lit

Audible Audio

First published July 30, 2019

About the author

Cathy Yardley is an award-winning author of romance, chick lit, and urban fantasy, who has sold over 1.2 million copies of books for publishers like St. Martin's, Avon, and Harlequin. She writes fun, geeky, and diverse characters who believe that underdogs can make good and that sometimes being a little wrong is just right.

Reviews

[Taryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally finished the Fandom Hearts series--and boy does it wrap up with a winner! I loved Ship of Fools almost as much as Level Up, the first book in the series. It’s a second chance romance, which can be tricky to pull off, but Yardley does it so well here. Ren and Rachel were high school sweethearts, but Ren broke up with Rachel when they headed off to college. Ten years later, he’s climbing the corporate ladder at his parents’ company and grinding out 100-hour work weeks, and she’s putting herself through an MBA program while working two jobs. When a family crisis forces Rachel to reach out to Ren for help, Ren sees his chance to reconnect with his old flame. Rachel, however, has no reason to trust him and doubts that he’ll prioritize her above his high-pressure career. Ren is such a sweet marshmallow, and it’s really satisfying watching him learn to set boundaries and stand up to his family. If you haven’t tried this series yet, get on it!

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This newest (6th) addition to the Fandom Hearts series was a quick and easy read, which is exactly what I'd been looking for. Light romance, a little racy (but my prudish self skipped over those parts), somewhat of a sub-par plot... but it does the job when you're looking for something short and sweet - and that's exactly what I needed as I was participating in the Dewey's 2019 Reverse Readathon at the time I read it.

[Giselle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I wish this was nerdier.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a lot to say about this, having gone through a similar situation.
Long distance sucks, but when you're willing to try and the other person isn't... it's heart breaking on a while different level.

I feel like Rachel gave in much too easily, but then again she had 10 years to get over the hurt. And Ren really does put in effort to show her he cares. They have both grown a lot, and that's beautiful to see.

[Rachel Barnard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Previously on Fandom Hearts…. Cressida left the safety of the bookstore to hunt for real live treasure with an almost-stranger. States away, she is having an emergency agoraphobic attack. Rachel has the means to get to Cressida quickly, by borrowing her ex-high school sweetheart’s family plane. Rachel only hesitates a moment before making the call. Ten years later, Ren breaking up with her, still hurts.

Ren never got over Rachel. He was pressured to break up with her so that he could focus on his schooling and career path that would eventually lead to him taking over the family business. Rachel’s phone call out of the blue brings up all sorts of nostalgia for Rachel and their relationship. Is she still the same woman he broke up with ten years ago? He has to find out and pleads for a date with Rachel.

Rachel feels obligated to thank Ren in person for helping Cressida, but she is also curious whether he’s grown as a person. Is he still putting family obligations and career aspirations first in his life or does he have room for a new relationship?

I absolutely adore the Fandom Hearts Series. I love reading about the characters and how their lives intersect. I love how I get to know more about each of the main characters as they star in their own novels and as we read about them in all the other books. Ship of Fools has been my least favorite of the series. It lacked the wow factor of the other novels. I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. The Frost sisters did not let me down, but the romance between Rachel and Ren just wasn’t satisfying in the same way as all the other sisters’ romances were. The happy ending a bit bittersweet and left me wanting.

I wonder in what direction the Fandom Hearts books will go after this latest installment. All Frost sisters have found relationships outside of each other and they are moving on with their lives. I really would like more of Cressida’s story in the future. Cressida is my favorite character because she is the most vulnerable and most unique.

[Natalie Hart]

I've enjoyed all the Fandom Hearts books and this one is a wonderful closer. I will confess that one of the things I really like about it doesn't directly have to do with it: it has to do with the movie Crazy Rich Asians. As a romance reader, I expect both my hero and my heroine to undergo personal growth, to both experience change in the area of their lives that lead to the tensions in their relationship, and that doesn't happen with the hero in the movie. The heroine has some level of winning against the future mother-in-law, but the hero does not in any way address the pressures that his family does and will put on him, that people are constantly telling the heroine about. Much like in Ship of Fools. So as a romance reader, that it went unaddressed made me not really believe in the HEA of Crazy Rich Asians. But do not fear, Yardley does not leave us hanging! I was so glad for Ren at the end of this book, just for what he did in his own life, even outside his relationship with Rachel. This was an HEA I could believe in wholeheartedly: two adults being adults and making good and wise decisions for their own health and sanity and also a really great relationship (and great sex).

[Elysa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing end to what started as a promising series. This book was unnecessary and just felt like a "hey, the last sister needs to be paired up read." The book is literally just sex, which the series became increasingly reliant on in each book. The first couple books were so good because of the nerdy setting and the cute stories. The end just felt like a hormone fest. The last book was extra disappointing because there was nothing nerdy about it in the theme, and it was incredibly obvious how it would all play out.

If you like sex with a side of story, then give this series a shot. If you want actual story, give it a pass.

[TabReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the fandom!

This is a sweet & smexy second chance romance. Great steamy bits and lovely characters who push each other do what is right. I adore this whole series and I love seeing old friends pop up.

[Melissa Jacobson · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all know I am trash for cathy Yardley Smut and her fabulously nerdy romances. This was the least nerdy but still a blast. Cathy Yardley can honestly do no wrong in my eyes.

[Ashley (Red-Haired Ash Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ten years ago, Ren Chu broke Rachel’s heart. He promised if she ever needed him to call and she swore she never would. When her sister has a medical emergency she swallows her pride and asks Ren for help. All he asked for was a chance to catch up because he never stopped loving her.

This was a pretty good second chance romance. Rachel never stopped loving Ren even though she has moved on with her life and it all comes rushing back once they meet again. She gives Ren one week to show her that he is ready for a relationship with her. In that week there are a lot of ups and downs. I actually really enjoyed this because it opens both of their eyes up to what they do and don’t want in a relationship. Ren finds he wants more of a social life and is tired of being at his parents beck and call. Rachel finds that it's time for her to move on from her family and start her own life.

I wasn’t really sure if I would like Ren in this one but he quickly grew on me. He has lived up to his parents expectations all of his life and is constantly pushing himself to do better. Unfortunately, he isn’t being true to himself because of that. Rachel givinging him a second chance shows him how much he has let himself be controlled by his family and their expectations.

Overall, I enjoyed this conclusion to the Fandom Hearts series. I am sad to see it ending but am happy everyone found their HEA’s. I look forward to reading more of Yardley’s books in the future.

This review was originally posted at Red-Haired Ash Reads.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

High school sweethearts Ren and Rachel broke up. Well, he broke up with her and broke her heart. His parents explained to him that it would be too hard to be across the country and maintain a relationship especially since they would both be in school. And he listened.
Ten years later, Rachel needs a favor that only a billionaire (or a billionaire’s kid) can help with. So she calls Ren. And he uses the opportunity to try and get back in her good graces. But Rachel isn’t really happy about that. She decides to give him one week to figure out his whether or not he can fit her into his life. But will Ren crack under the pressure from Rachel adding to the pressure he’s already under from his parents?
This was really a three and a half book - I felt like Rachel was a little harder than she needed to be and Ren was just a little too perfect but it was a overall a fast and fun book.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was kind of disappointed with this one. I mean, even a slightly disappointing Cathy Yardley book is still not bad, but other books in the series were stronger.

I liked Ren and Rachel a lot, but I didn't quite feel it. This is a second chance romance, and he was basically all in from the start. But she was understandably cautious and gave him a week to convince her that they should try dating again, which made things feel rushed. She made a no sex rule, which they disregarded pretty quickly. She was enthusiastic about the sex, but conflicted about the relationship, which made things feel a little disjointed. And his parents were almost cartoonish in their "work harder, not smarter" "the family is the company and the company is everything" attitude. I think the book just needed to a little longer, to have more room for it all to play out.

[Starfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

And here we have it: the final book in the Fandom Hearts series. This was right in between a 3-star and 4-star romance for me. If I'd read it on its own, without all the stories of Rachel's sisters and friends that went before it, it would have been solid 3-star content. As it was, it felt like an appropriate wrap-up for the series, but just not my favourite story in its own right.

Neither Rachel nor Ren really landed for me. Both of them felt too indecisive - too... "Yes, but no, but yes..." and blown around by the plot winds. Which isn't to say that they weren't realistic for their particular life circumstances, but I just found myself getting impatient with both of them.

I am glad I finished the series though, and I'm looking forward to exploring some of Ms Yardley's standalones next.

[Stephanie Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was probably my LEAST favorite out of all the novels in this series. Ren was really kind of a jerk and Rachal was sort of a pushover.

No wonder it took me 5 ever to read it. Lol.

[Kristen Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 stars

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have loved a bit more of a conclusion with the family business, but overall very good.

[Asparagoose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a good second chance romance. Disappointing on all sides.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve decided Hailey is annoying

[Steph Beaudoin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun book. I am going to miss this series!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the second chance story for Ren and Rachel, but I wish there had been a comment about his family in the epilogue.

[May · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like it more, but some things going for it that would be hard pressed to make me love it in a novella
* second chance
* sad story for Ren through out the book until the end.

[Sylvia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I guess the fool was I for reading this.

[Janelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to preface this by saying that I really like what I've read of the Fandom Hearts series. I haven't read all the installments, but I've enjoyed the ones I have indulged. This one, however, might be my least favorite of all of them.

I know that it's just a thing with romance that you sometimes have to lean in on premises that stretch credulity a little bit. This one just asked a little too much from me. The hero is a little too perfect, and the heroine's hang-up is a little... Being mad for 10 years at your high school boyfriend for not wanting to carry on a long-distance relationship? Really? That's what you want to hang your hat on? That a grown woman, with her own interests and priorities, does not understand that a grown man might have his own interests and priorities was too much. I'm not saying it doesn't happen. I'm saying I can't back up this heroine.

This one just didn't work for me. I like Ren. I like Rachel. I did not like their story.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 6th (last?) volume in the Fandom Hearts series.

This is a 2nd chance romance between Rachel and her high school love, Ren. He broke off their engagement 9 years ago when he went away to school and in many ways their situations are still quite similar. Notably, Ren's corporate-minded parents want him to focus on the family's huge business to the detriment of everything else in his life.

Cover: Okay.
Narrators: Same as the other books in the series. I do like the continuity of that.
Hogwarts Sorting Hat: This one is quite tricky. I think Rachel is a Gryffindor and Ren is a Hufflepuff at heart.

Themes: family corporation, 2nd chances, Seattle area

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another installment in the Frost sisters rom-com saga. Yardley's best yet. A bit derivative but lovely, believable characters. Good story. Would make an excellent movie. Best summed up by a quote from the book: "Gah! Right in the feels!"

[Jenn Bennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh My Gawd, Cathy Yardley! This series ended with such a sweet HEA. I am now a devoted fan and will devour every bit of your writing I can, because it just makes me feel so good. Great way to end 2019. Happy New Year!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute, but also I feel like it was very different from the rest of this series in a few ways.