Well what a book! This has pulled me in, kept my attention and been a book which is impossible to put down. I have literally loved everything about this book.

Henley is a fabulous main character, realistic and likeable. She is a character that you like from the very beginning. Initially I have been really unsure what to make of Graeme.
This is a read that has literally made me laugh out loud. I have been completely pulled in and invested in the characters. The author has written this book so well that I feel as though I have been right there with them.

The twist that's been thrown in at the end was completely unexpected and has left me shocked. This has been the perfect feel good read to curl up with.

I adore the cover of this one, it's so cute and really catches the attention of the reader. I want to be on that boat right now.

I absolutely cannot wait to read more by this author. This book has converted me as a fan.

From the moment the cover for this book was revealed I knew it was one I needed to read. After all I do love a Cruise, I love a Headline Eternal romance, and it's always good to try new authors.

At not point did I even think to read the blurb, so it did take me slightly by surprise that was are talking explorer cruise in the Galapagos, and not perhaps my normal luxury cruise line trip in the Caribbean or similar.

Not that it bothered me in the slightest as although I've seen pics of the Galapagos wildlife (funnily enough while working for a luxury tour operator that was branching into offering Galapagos cruises), I don't think I've ever read a book set there and I am all for experiencing new destinations via armchair travel.

And yes there is a hot romance, at the centre of the book, between Henley and Graeme who you do wonder if they will ever get together properly given how many grudges they seem to be holding against each other, to me that is secondary to the cruise.

Well the cruise, the battle for Henley to get promoted to the same role the Graeme is trying to win a promotion for, and the interesting ideas they both have for digital marketing for the adventure cruise line that operates all over the world. All things that interest me greatly in the real world too.

And the descriptions of the Galapagos Islands didn't let me down, I felt as though I was there alongside Henley, her sister Walsh and Graeme on this cruise. I was exhausted with the excursion schedule and the thought of 3 hour long hikes in the heat, loved the snorkelling, and hearing details about all of the wildlife.

There are just so many fabulous elements to this book, that I was sorry that it ended. I already know I will happily read whatever this author comes out with next, as I enjoyed this book so so much, I found it a very fast book to devour and I was completely hooked on the story. It felt like everything I could look for in an escapist read, all in one place.

Thank you to Headline Eternal and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I chose this book without knowing a great deal about it, but it seemed like a fun concept for a rom-com, and I wasn't disappointed. I raced through it and it was the perfect escapist fun read! Add to that a vacation setting at a time when I am missing travel so much and I was hooked.

The book is a classic "enemies to lovers" romance - Henley and Graeme are colleagues who both work for a cruise line company and who have had some issues in the past, though they have never met in person as Graeme works remotely. Competing for a promotion, they are sent on a cruise to the Galapagos and sparks begin to fly. Hockman creates two interesting main characters, and I loved Henley and her struggles to balance her career and personal life; their blossoming romance was a slow burn but really worked for me. There are some great supporting characters who ensure plenty of laughs along the way.

As someone who has has the Galapagos on my bucket list, the setting was the icing on the cake for me and has made me want to go even more - and I appreciate the fact that the author not only raised the issue of ecotourism as part of the book but also added some additional information. A light and fluffy read also become something of an education for me, which was unexpected and a definite bonus. I look forward to seeing what Hockman does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh I absolutely loved this one, a definite feel good romance! I really loved the setting of the cruise, it felt like a perfect way to fall in love with Henley and Graeme and see them both deal with the struggles of their past, and also come to terms with what they wanted both professionally and romantically. Their relationship was so sweet, and honestly who doesn't love a good enemies to lovers story? Especially when the characters are so unbelievably loveable! The story was so intruiging and I loved how determined Henley was about her role, but also how she came to realise that her career isn't everything and how important it is to support those she loves too. Walsh & Nikolai were brilliant side characters that in themselves had so much depth and detail to their personalities which was fantastic. I just really loved this book, and its one of my favourite endings to a romance I've read! I can't recommend enough!

My review of this book is based on the blurb. Unfortunately I was unable to read this due to a formatting issue.

If you’re looking for a fun enemies to lovers romance that will teach you some things, then do I have the book for you!

In many ways Shipped is very much your typical chick-lit novel but one that slips into the romance genre. Our heroine is Henley, a woman who has been working her way up through the marketing department of an adventure cruise line. When a new role is created, she’s one of two names up for the promotion. The only problem is that the other is Graeme, her incredibly attractive work nemesis. To give the both of them the chance to prove what they could do as digital marketing manager, they’re sent on a cruise to the Galapagos to see what they can come up with to help promote that area. Only, things are never as simple as we’d like them to be and being in such close quarters with Graeme on this trip may mean that Henley learns to like him a lot more than expected.

A big theme in this book is how women are constantly railroaded in their careers. People don’t expect much from them and often if men are in charge, they’ll side with other men in a problematic situation. Henley feels that to get what she deserves, she has to work even harder than everyone else. And in some ways, she’s right. But this book also shows that a good work-life balance is important.

As ever in chick-lit, the relationships were an important point. I loved Henley’s relationships with her friends, with her sister and with Graeme also. She was such a kind person and that really shone through. Even her issues and lashing out didn’t stop you from seeing that.

The romance specifically was great. I love a good enemies to lovers story and this handled the enemy portion nicely. The bickering was so fun but their soft moments where they helped eachother out? Reader, I melted. They were just so cute sigh.

I said back in the beginning that you’ll learn some things in this book and you likely will. The majority of the book takes place in the Galapagos isles and you get to learn about the animals and ecosystem. This book takes time to highlight and focus on conservation. There’s even an author’s note with ways you can actually help and explore the islands. Conservation is a cause close to my heart and I’m so proud to be promoting a book that in turn promotes conservation. Big thank you, Angie Hockman for writing this.

Shipped is a fun, easy and short read. I read most of it in one session as I couldn’t put it down. I did get a little sad when it came to one bit of the conservation stuff but it was important to know so I’m glad I read it!

Overall, a fun and informative chick-lit/rom-com novel with little smut, wonderful characters and one I’ll read again and again. Highly recommended.

Shipped by Angie Hockman is an enemies to lovers workplace / holiday rom-com book coming 19 January 2021. (Workplace & holiday because they work for a cruise company!)

This was one of my highly anticipated reads of 2021 after the comparisons to the Hating Game and Unhoneymooners (two of my all-time-favourite rom-com novels). Henley is up for a promotion, her only competition is Graeme Crawford-Collins, remote social media manager and bane of her existence. They are sent on a cruise around the Galapagos in order to familiarise themselves with the setting and start drafting their competing marketing proposals, which will determine who gets the promotion.

Overall this was a fun time. The enemies to lovers was a workplace rivals sort of level and provided plenty of amusing moments. Henley & Graeme were enjoyable enough characters individually and they also seemed to work well together. Personally the chemistry between the two was not as strong as I prefer and I think this was partially due to the work/promotion aspect of the storyline taking up a lot of page space. Although the inclusion of this was definitely one of my favourite aspects of the story, I personally felt that their connection did end up suffering as a result.

Also, while I’m not overly bothered in the positive or negative by this, this is a fade-to-black story, so zero on page steamy scenes.

Without a doubt the equivalence to those two best-sellers is justified since the premise is almost exactly the same as The Hating Game but set in an exotic location, as is the Unhoneymooners. Unfortunately the final result didn’t have the same strength for me and it probably would have fared better if I had not had those other two favourites to compare against. But that is unavoidable given how similar the concepts are.

Also I know what I signed up for reading a rom-com and I am totally here for the cheese, but it got a bit too much even for me.

**Thank you to NetGalley & Headline Eternal for providing this arc in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are subjective but my own.**

As soon as I read ‘perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Sally Thorne’, I knew I had to request this. I had seen ARCs of this book featured in several booktubers vlogs, and it really interested me. This was such a fun, cute romance full of witty banter, yearning and self-discovery. Henley Evans and Graeme Crawford-Collins are up for the same promotion and are sent on one of their company’s cruises to write a business proposal to prove who’s better for the job – it’s like if The Unhoneymooners and The Hating Game had a baby! I really enjoyed both of those books, so Shipped caught my eye straight away.

I went in thinking it was going to be a classic enemies-to-lovers rom-com, and yes it was, but it had so much more going on than the romance. It discussed sexism in the workplace, the hardships of women being in a traditionally male space and the inequalities that result from women in a male-dominated environment. I feel like a few romances do this if a female character works in an office of sorts, but I feel like Shipped went even further with it. It was a key theme throughout the whole book and was never pushed aside to make space for the romance. Henley journey wasn't her realising that being passionate about her job and having a strong work ethic was wrong - it was finding out where she belonged in the company she was working for. The ending of this was exceptional in my opinion - it was less about the romance and more about Henley and Graeme's jobs. It would've felt wrong to dismiss their jobs when it's such a prevalent part to the book itself. Very unique.

Speaking of the romance, I found it enjoyable to follow and watch grow. Romance can be a hit or miss for me, but I felt invested in Henley and Graeme’s developing relationship. It was well-paced and not all of a sudden – it really worked. I really shipped them (pun intended!). There was not only amazing chemistry, but they also communicated with one another about themselves – their personal issues and emotions, and I though Angie Hockman did a really good job at creating characters that actually acted their age. Arguments happened and mean words were exchanged, but they would apologise, and own up to their mistakes. There was no toxicity that put me off or actions taken that made me dislike either character. It was very refreshing to read about.

The setting was perfect. Because of the current state of the world, travelling isn’t possible, but Shipped allowed me to travel. The descriptions of a cruise holiday, of the Galápagos Islands and the nature was utter perfection. I felt like I was there, experiencing this holiday. It was so fun to learn about the wildlife on the islands – I always love learning something new.

Thank you, Angie Hockman for this book! Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for accepting my request for this ARC.

Shipped - Angie Hockman

A lovely rom-com with plenty of communication between the main characters, which can sometimes be lost in this type of book. I loved the leading lady Henley and her sister, who also have their own issues with each other that run along side the main topic in the story. This is the first book I have read by this author and I will definitely be looking out for more from them in the future. Who doesn't love a (maybe predictable) love story but also set in paradise - perfect escapism!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Headline Eternal for the chance to read and review this book

This book was amazing. Such a cute romance. The characters had a an amazing chemistry throughout the book. It was so fun. Definitely enjoyed reading during this cold winter.

Fun, enjoyable romance. I like Henley a a lot. Her personality and focus was very relatable to me. Graeme was lovely. The chemistry and banter between then was excellent from the start (over the computer) and got even bettter once they met in person. I also really liked the author’s writing especially the picture she painted of the Galapagos (tempted to go myself now). An entertaining read.

A Corny Conundrum...?
Falling in love in paradise? A corny conundrum? A dream promotion, a cruise and an island paradise. Marketing manager Henley Evans has some decisions to make. Amusing romcom, witty and engaging from start to finish and some rather ideal and enjoyable escapism.

I was just SHIPPED off for a couple of hours with this book and you know, I'm not complaining.

ha did you catch my pun? Methinks I'm now an actual genius!!

I genuinely did not know what to expect from this book, but I had a gut instinct that I would enjoy. And my gut is usually right, Ruby knows her taste well. It was just so much fun and felt like watching a movie. Which can be a hit or miss for me. However, I had no issues just going along on this... ride. Ha, I did it again.

Shipped just had all of my favourite elements. We got great banter, non-cringey pop culture references, sibling relationships and a fun romance. It was made for success.

I also find it very ironic that this one is labelled the child of The Hating Game and The Unhoneymooners, the first I seriously disliked and the latter I dnf'ed at like 70%. Sorry not sorry.

Anyways, I seriously loved the writing! I thought it was witty and easy to read, without being contrived and trying too hard, which is something I struggle with when it comes to contemporary novels. The humour was on point, especially the emails. Oof love to see it.

I also LOVED the craft the author put into the male love interest. Idk if he's my new favourite character but we respect a man who understands feminism, identifies sexism and educates himself on sexism in the workplace and doesn't congratulate himself on doing the bare minimum. Geez, I really just popped off whoops. But seriously, I thought it was expertly done and I was thoroughly impressed. Had many an internal conversation in my head about this character.

I really loved the sister relationship, and how that was explored. And I thought the romance was super cute and their dynamic was sweet. The cruise setting was great, and I did in fact want to hop on a ship to visit the Galapagos. Twas very transportive, which is a good thing. Also, love that they went during summer. Usually, books coming out during Christmas season are set in winter, but here in the southern hemisphere, it is definitely not cold lmao.

My only issue was that 1) again I think it needed something else to balance out the romance and maybe it would have had 5-star potential. And 2) I thought the pacing at the beginning and the end was a bit off. For instance, I would have liked just a tad more romance development right at the beginning, before the cruise took off. And I also thought there was a total shift in tone at the end and it got a bit too corny for me.

Apart from that, I still had a great time. We had laughs, smiles, single moments, and what more could I need? Definitely recommend you pick it up when it comes out!!

I loved, loved, loved this story!! Henley was so funny and realistic, and Graeme was so swoon worthy. The story was a lovely slow build but boy what an ending! The only thing I'd change about this is that on the Kindle the text messages that the author put into the book as images are so small, it's worse than trying to read the small print on a dodgy contract, so they either need blowing up, or just made as text instead of an image

The writing - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The story - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I smashed through this in a couple of hours, and honestly.... I really, really enjoyed it. It was easy to read, well written, had likeable characters that had enough depth to keep them interesting. But most of all - the communication between those characters was fantastic. Too often with a romance you find that the characters just do not communicate, and I struggle with this - because if they're like this before they even actually get together, there's no way that relationship is going to last, so why should I bother to get invested?

But with Henley and Graeme, they actually spoke about their feelings and issues early on, and continued to do so throughout, any misunderstandings, or harsh words, were normally apologised for and addressed in the next few pages. It was so refreshing to see a slow burn romance in this way, and it didn't end there, Henley has the same approach to her relationship with her sister. I think this explains why I enjoyed it so much, there's no frustration when you're reading it, you're not screaming at the screen at the characters, instead you just enjoy the ride.

The story was really interesting as well, I liked that the focus was on how much harder Henley had to work than her male counterparts, and I enjoyed the ending, it felt a bit fairytale-esque, but I felt like she deserved that and it fitted with the story well.

Fave quote - 'My steps falter. No one's ever looked at me like that before - like I'm the sunrise after a long winters night. Or the first present on Christmas morning. It's a look you see in movies, and from Graeme, it's devastating.'

Fave moment - ALL OF THE COMMUNICATION.

It is no secret that I adore romantic comedy novels. Angie Hockman's debut novel 'Shipped' is an absolute joy to read from start to finish and is a worthy addition to the halls of quality contemporary romance novels. It has been lauded as a mix between Christina Lauren's 'The Unhoneymooners' (which I am yet to enjoy but definitely want to give a go now) and the addictive 'The Hating Game' by Sally Thorne (which is a great read).

Henley and Graeme are both up for the same promotion. They have never met in person, due to Graeme being a remote employee, but they often spar over email and on the phone. When it is revealed they are up against one another for the role of their company's Digital Director, their boss decides to pit them against each other in a pitch proposal, sending them on a cruise to the Galápagos Islands to investigate how to boost sales. You can see where this is going right? Once on the same ship, Henley and Graeme get more than they have bargained for when they seem to like each other rather more than they were expecting, The hijinks whilst on the cruise are a delight to read (especially when involve the bizarre yet well-intentioned Nikolai) and there are some unexpected twists and turns on the way to this couple's happy ending.

What sets this novel apart from other enemies to lover stories is that the protagonists are genuinely likeable people throughout. I wanted them to succeed and have the happy ending they deserved. So often, authors give their main lovers awful character traits which they seek to redeem, only to leave a bad taste in the reader's mouths. Here, the main characters are 'enemies' mainly due to a misunderstanding so we very quickly root for the couple - I enjoyed every minute I had with the charming Henley and Graeme and a whole host of weird and wacky side characters.

If you are a fan of romance, this will not disappoint. I look forward to seeing what Hockman comes up with next! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A great read.

Henley is up for a promotion at work, against her enemy Graeme Crawford-Collins. he work remotely from the office, so when they are sent on a cruise together it is the first time she has met him. He is not who she thought he was, but that doesn't change that they both want the same job. Throw in her little sitser causing trouble and her great feinds helping her out.

First thanks to Netgalley for this ARC. This one I really, really wanted to read.
And of course I was not disappointed. I enjoyed even more than I expected.
Henley Rose Evans, our Heroine, is marketing manager for Cruise line. She doesn't feel like a rock star, even her name is meant for one.
She is all work, no play. But when she meets Graeme Crawford-Collins, the things begin to change.
But they are up for the same position at work. So let the best men win... But it isn't just that easy.
I love the books with theme enemies to lovers. And also work related romance novels. Henley is such a good heroine. I love how she can do everything. Yes, she has her fears, but she is that competitive that she faces her fears. Love the sister love, and friendship.
And Graeme is such a treasure. I love him.
The only lack for me is Graeme's POV. I just needed to read his thoughts.
But all in all. This is a lovely ROM COM. Writing is just perfect.
4.5 stars for me.

A fun and clever rom com that made me so pleased I requested to read it! The relationship between the two main characters was absolutely delightful, and their repartee so sharp!