I started Maddie Please’s latest novel Come Away With Me just before I went to bed – and before I knew it, it was way past my bedtime and the sun was coming up! A riotous romp that is breezy, hilarious and a joy from start to finish, Come Away With Me is this summer’s must-read romantic comedy!

Alexa Fisher loves her sister India – it’s just a shame that her younger sibling is also the most infuriating and aggravating human being she has ever come across. While Alexa has had to work hard for every single little thing she’s got, India has had everything handed to her on a silver platter by their overly indulgent parents. Alexa spends her days slogging her guts out at the family’s real estate business, while India swans around doing nothing more strenuous than drinking coffee and going out for never-ending lunches. With India’s wedding just around the corner, Alexa is sick and tired of hearing about the upcoming nuptials – and of having to go on a diet to fit into her bridesmaid’s dress. Alexa just want to get as far away from her sister as possible – but that will not prove possible as she finds out over Sunday lunch when their parents make an unexpected announcement.

Alexa and India’s parents seem to be spending more time in the air than on terra firma lately. With a trip to Australia in the offing, Alexa and India were just about to bid their parents bon voyage when their mother receives a phone call informing her that she has won a cruise! But unfortunately the dates clash with the Australia trip. Not about to let this trip go to waste, Alexa and India’s mother comes up with the perfect solution to ensure that this holiday does not go to waste: the girls can go and treat this cruise as India’s hen holiday! Poor Alexa is not exactly thrilled. Spending an afternoon with her sister is enough to have her climbing the walls, how on earth is she going to manage twelve days in her company in the middle of the Atlantic ocean?

It seems like gritting her teeth and bearing it is something which Alexa will be doing a lot of over the course of this holiday. As India incessantly goes on and on about her wedding plans, single Alexa begins to feel miserable and a bit of a failure. Having been on her own for ages, Alexa wonders whether she will ever find her own Prince Charming, but could things be looking up with the arrival of the enigmatic and drop dead gorgeous Gabriel Frost, who has the cabin next door to hers and India’s?

Gabriel might be the sexiest man she has ever clapped eyes on, but he is far too cold and aloof for Alexa…or is he? Will Cupid’s arrow strike on the high seas? Or is Alexa destined to spend the rest of her life being always the bridesmaid, but never the bride?

Funny, engrossing and heart-warming, I didn’t want Come Away With Me to end! Maddie Please is a wonderful writer who made me laugh out loud on many an occasion with her hilariously witty romantic tale. Engaging, enjoyable and absolutely superb, Come Away With Me is a compulsively readable novel with a lovely heroine you will cheer for, a sexy hero you will love and lashings of fun, humour and pathos to keep you entertained from start to finish.

Maddie Please has written a terrific romantic comedy that I simply adored! A fabulous book that is the next best thing to a luxurious cruise, Come Away With Me is an irresistible tale that has keeper written all over it!

Would you just look at that cover?! What a beautiful and rather apt cover this is. Seriously. After reading 'Come Away With Me', I can honestly say that the cover sums up the contents of the storyline rather well. Don't fret though, that is not a spoiler at all!

I must admit that it did take me quite a while to get into the book as I found one of the characters rather immature. I am a fan of Maddie Please's writing, but for me, the hook of the book wasn't immediate and I struggled to get into it. I did persevere though as, like I said, I enjoy Maddie's writing and I didn't want to give up too early.

Thankfully perseverance paid off and once the storyline hit the halfway mark, that was when the book and I became buddies. It was as though the book had a lightbulb moment, either that or I did! I did still find one particular character rather immature and wished the other character would stand up for themselves though! Maddie Please had me snorting at what she had made her characters do, and she even made me want to go on a cruise like....yesterday. I have always thought that cruises were for the older generation, just like many of the characters in the book thought, but I will hold my hands up now and say that my opinion has completely changed. Hopefully one day I will be able to step foot onto a cruise ship because it does sound rather fab!

Overall, the vibe and underlying message of 'Come Away With Me' were the true stars of the novel as they made me sit back and look at certain situations from a different, and more open minded angle. Sometimes we go through phases where we are unsure of our next steps, or where we find our confidence with our decision making plummeting before our very eyes. Despite the main characters not being my favourite at all, I thought they highlighted Maddie Please's message very well, especially Alexa. She is proof that you need to take that leap in life before regret takes over. Live a little or regret a lot? The relatable factors to this book and the characters were poignant and certainly made me think.

'Come Away With Me' is a light-hearted and care free novel which will have you reaching for the cruise brochures like there's no tomorrow.

I only heard of Maddie recently, so I was pleased to be able to read ‘Come With Me’. It appealed to me because I’ve cruised a few times and this story is mostly set on a cruise. Two sisters, Alexa and India, go on a cruise for India’s hen do, because their mother won it in a competition but couldn’t go.

The sisters are very different; both of them work for their father’s estate agency business but, whereas Alexa loves it and puts in a great deal of hard work and energy, India just floats in and out when it pleases her and doesn’t make any effort. Alexa has not long come out of a relationship and is temporarily living in an outbuilding on her parents’ property, so she’s not really enjoying her sister’s wedding preparations.

We go on the 12-day cruise with the sisters, and it’s a fantastic ride! Maddie writes skilfully with plenty of wit and warmth, and I will definitely be reading more of her books. I’d highly recommend ‘Come With Me’ as a great summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

Alexa Fisher, age 29, has a younger sister, India, age 26, who is getting married in soon. Her fiance, Jerry, is perfect for her and India is so excited about her upcoming wedding. She has been making lots of plans and wants Alexa to be her bridesmaid but Alexa she is not looking forward to doing it. She knows she is a few pounds overweight and they thought of shopping for a dress for the wedding fills her with dread.

India has floated through life not really having to take responsibility for much. Alexa has worked with her father’s estate agent business and truly loves it. Her father has recently had Alexa take India under her wing and try to teach her the estate agent business. However, India’s wedding plans tend to come first to her working. Alexa feels like she is in a bit of a rut as she is not dating anyone, as her last boyfriend was a total loser. In addition, she is living in a little cottage on her parents property which makes her feel like a loser too.

When the girls’ mother wins a cruise, she is unable to go because she and her husband are already scheduled for a trip to Australia during the same timeframe. Therefore, her mother insists the sisters take the cruise together as a bachelorette or hen party for India.

They settle right in for their 12-day cruise and want to take advantage of all of the fun things to do onboard. A well-known woman who is an author and people motivator is on the ship and is giving lots of lectures on how people can take charge of their lives and become happier and even become an author like herself. Alexa sees this handsome man named Gabriel Frost, who is an attorney for the author. Alexa and Gabriel meet and it’s an instant attraction.

The sisters get caught up in the good food and alcohol readily available on the ship despite their vows to stick to their diets so they can fit into their dresses for India’s wedding.

Oh my! I haven’t read such a fun book like this in ages. I love to cruise and reading this story is like taking the cruise along with Alexa and India. They are so funny. Their fellow passengers are a total hoot and had me laughing out loud. The author truly pegged them. I highly recommend this book and I simply wished it hadn’t ended. Don’t miss it. It’s a treat!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

To be honest, I just picked this book only because I didn't find anything of interest in NetGalley at that time. Oh, there is nothing wrong with the theme. It is just . . . being not a daughter of Poseidon I am quite unnerved by the so called magnificence of the sea or should I say its destructive power? I tend to avoid anything related to the sea, movies included. So if I say I completely loved this book, you can fairly imagine the rest.
As the cover blurb informs you, this is the story of two sisters, Alexa (for Alexandria) and India. Their wanderlust parents named them after the two places they loved most. Alexa is the responsible eldest with no boyfriend, while India is endowed with good looks and is about to get married. Yesss, it is '27 Dresses' all over again, but in a cruise ship. The novel traces the twelve days of their travel where their old bond and comradeship return.
The readers are taken along with their beautiful journey and while closing the book, I felt I just finished a very rewarding and comforting cruise adventure. Why can't they write travel books in this mode? There is, of course, a love story but that only makes a mere twenty percentage of the book. And the amazing this is, I really didn't mind it at all. I was so immersed in Alexa and India that not even once I fast forwarded to check when Gabriel Frost will make his next appearance.
Thank you, Avon and NetGalley for giving me this review copy. It has captivated me so much that I won't mind going on a ship anymore.

India and Maddie are on a 12 day New England cruise for India’s hen gathering. They hope to repair their sisterhood and friendship. Along the way Maddie meets Gabriel, assistant to a famous self help author the girls love.

The book was somewhat predictable, but I thought it was well written. Perfect read for a day in or out.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book by the pool on holiday.
Good story, strong characters & a bit of romance-everything that I love in a book.

Lovely book to read. Perfect in the summer. One of these books that makes you want to up and leave with the characters in the book. well written and kept me enthralled throughout

Fluffy and fun. Alexa and her sister India have never been on the same wave length so there's no reason to expect things will improve on a transatlantic cruise. I loved the details of the cruise- an old fashioned experience in many ways. There is, however, lots of drinking. Lots. There's also a love interest in Gabriel. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is just right for the afternoon on the beach!

This was a cute book but I did not find the main characters likable. I thought Alexa's negativity made it hard to root for her and India was so self-absorbed making it difficult to tolerate her at all. The story idea was great, but the lack of warmth and heart made this a miss for me.

Alexandria and India Fisher are sisters, more rivalry than sibling, with parents with wanderlust and a penchant for cruises. In fact, with India’s wedding coming quickly, and Alexa is about topped up with everything being wedding-focused: from family dinners to India’s days spent working in the family business: estate agents. Finding that India is so happy and cluelessly selfish abou only her own needs, Alexa is still reeling from the shame of her last breakup with a man far less worth her time than the muck on the street.

But when her mother’s impulsivity results in their winning a luxury cruise p the eastern coast from New York onto Halifax, and then across to Southampton, the dates conflict with their Australia cruise, and the cruise goes to Alexa and India. Let it serve as the ‘hen night’ that Alexa had yet to organize, giving them twelve days of luxury cruising, in a cabin, together, at sea.

Drinking, eating, learning to fold towels into monkeys, crabs and bas, and a few dance lessons, lectures and more time together since they were children, Alexa and India are trying to repair their fractured relationship, perhaps even seeing one another as adults, letting go of the childish hurts and slights. With a famed “self-help” author on board, and an employee who seems to be ‘sort of’ writing and working on ‘lawyerly’ bits for her, India and Alexa are smitten by the pint sized bastion of all things “fabulous”, even when her advice is less personal and more a collection of every self-help fad out there. But her employee, that she calls ‘friend’, is Gabriel – and he and Alexa have something electric between them – even if she acts like a tongue-tied pre-teen in front of him.

Their connection is electric, and Alexa allows herself a no strings fling with him, with the few uninterrupted moments together to talk always pushed off for drinks and other activities. But when his “boss” spins all that Gabriel has told Alexa , and her own doubts about her weight, attractiveness, oh just about everything, take over – she ducks him, leaving her lonely and him without answers.

Maddie Please has brought another story together – rich with characters that grow and change before our eyes, and finding a happy ending for all. With a wedding that brought Alexa more stress with wrangling bridesmaids, and more questions about not having a plus one, India’s moves and their newly defined relationship brings everyone smiles in the end.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=”https://wp.me/p3OmRo-9XY/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

This book is chock full,of holidays, family’s, crushing, activities, cocktails and fun. Sisters India and Alexa go on a short cruise, won by and donated by their parents. Their relationship has always been a little strained, a little competitive. So how will they fair when stuck onboard with each other all that time
Well the answer is they have fun, there are some really funny moments in this book and the descriptions of the ship, the ports and the onboard entertainment are an absolute joy.
You can’t not like this book. Seriously. It’s that good!

This was the first book by Maddie Please I read. I really enjoyed it!
Alexa and India find themselves on a 12-day cruise and we get to see all the fun and not-so-fun things that happen with them. I found the writing style engaging and the plot was believable. The characters were likeable and I found myself laughing often! Would recommend it to everyone who likes romantic comedies.

A funny, romantic read. Perfect to read by the pool. Really enjoyed this.
Thank you to the author and to NetGalley for the ARC.

I was attracted by the cover initially. This is a pleasant enough story of two sisters having a hen trip on a cruise ship after their parents won it in a competition but couldn't go. A more cultured adult version rather than a girl's weekend in Blackpool or Vegas. It was enjoyable to read how things work on a cruise having never been on one myself. Oh I can imagine how much weight you put on now. It was interesting to read the relationship between the two sisters more than the romance side of it.

Thanks to Avon Books and Harper Collins for the ARC - a nice Summer read when you just want to switch off and relax.

Alexa was reminded of things she was suppose to do like : lose weight for India’s wedding. Also organize a her hen weekend, and she was suppose to be looking forward to be India’s bridesmaid,. Alexa usually loved her job but Now India was working there and not really doing anything and getting paid for it. Alexa had worked for years learning how to be a good real estate agent, getting her qualifications, doing a thorough job, and making herself indispensable. But India just skimmed the surface of life. Then at Laura’s party India had been flirting with Alexa’s boyfriend -at the time- Ryan. Alexa still hadn’t forgiven India yet for that even thougshe hadn’t found out what India had been up to and her and Ryan no longer were together. Then India met Jerry, fell in love, they moved in together and now they were going to married. Then their mother won a twelve day cruise and gave it to her girls and it could be India’s hen party. Alexa didn’t like the idea of spending that long with India as they weren’t close but she went anyway. India and Alexa were at the airport and having champagne when Alexa accidently spillers hers all over the hot guy at the next table. India switched chairs with ehr after that but when Alexa checked he was typing rapidly but still looking at her out of the corner of his eye. Then on the boat while standing on their room’s balcony she discovers the same man-Gabe- is in the cabin next to her and India. When Gabe stood next to Alexa she was more aware of him then she had been of anyone ever. Then she found out Gabe was a special friend of Marmie Miller who was a self help guru, lifestyle authority, cookery expert, writer and celebrity. Gabe does realize he is very attracted to Alexa
I liked this story, it was a good summer read. I liked that every chapter started with a drink and its ingredients. I loved the description of the ports in this book. I liked the descriptions of the food and what they offered on the ship and what Alexa and India did. I chuckled at times while reading this. But it dod drag for me at times. I also enjoyed the plot. Both Alexa and India frustrated me at times but I did finish this book and it was a good summer read. I liked the characters and the ins and outs and I recommend.

Love this entertaining romance. Great plot, characters and setting. Always nice to find a book with a bit of humor and this fits the bill. I found myself laughing aloud while reading. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this arc. This is my honest review

I really enjoyed this book though im not sure if this is a standalone novel or a series as i felt the sisters story had more going on

Come Away With Me by Maddie Please is a lovely enjoyeble read about Alexa and her younger sister India.

When Alexa is talked into a twelve day cruise with her sister which turns into hen party, she is less than happy to say the least. Alexa is fed up with wedding talk and anything relating to marriage.
Being single herself, she also feels unappreciated and taken adventege of.
Then she meets mysterious Gabriel on the ship and the fun starts.

Many laugh out loud moment, with hillarious musing from Alexa together with sister squabbling and there are perfect ingredients for fun and delighful book just perfect for summer months.
I loved the setting and very detailed discriptions of cruise life which made me want to go on a cruise even more.
Thorougly entertaining.

A very sweet read and a lovely story about life, love, lust even and of course family. While perhaps it seems that the focus is on the romance between Alexa and Gabriel, I think for me, I found it to be equally about family - particularly the relationship between Alexa and her sister India. While there wasn't a major 'heart-to-heart' in which all problems of the past were suddenly solved, there seemed to be a slow progression of their sisterly relationship, which I personally found better anyway.

As for the relationship between Gabriel and Alexa - wow. I was actually surprised at how much I liked it. It wasn't what I thought it was originally going to be. The blurb suggests that it's more of a love-hate or a rocky relationship in the beginning, but I didn't find it to be that way at all. I loved the way that Gabriel seriously listened to Alexa. Did I want to smack his face a few times? Certainly. Did I want to slap Alexa into sense sometimes? Without a doubt. But I overall still loved them.
I will say, however, normally when I read a romance nove] and something goes wrong like a breakup etc. as there nearly always is, I will sometimes feel a physical pain of heartbreak for the character. This sadly did not occur for me in this novel, which gives me the sense that I just didn't connect with Alexa as a character enough. Still enjoyable though!
Overall, very enjoyable, light and fluffy read, fantastic for lounging by the pool to read.

Note: I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this novel from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed in the review are my own and are in no way influenced by the author nor the publisher. A major thank you to both Netgalley and the publisher for giving me this opportunity.