I love a romantic comedy and this was perfection! This author has quickly become a favourite of mine! A great well written book!

Shipped by Angie Hockman

A well written story full of humour and fabulous characters, strong women and light hearted with a few twists and enemies to lovers all set on a cruise ship. Really enjoyable tale an ideal holiday read or in my case dreaming of your next one. Loved it and made me smile. 4.5/5

Loved this, it was right up my street. Fabulous location, characters everything! Will definitely be reading more from this author as this book was very enjoyable and easy to read.

A wonderful, lighthearted read.

I always enjoy a book when there's travelling involved and this was no different.

I loved the crew of characters too. I also loved the humour.

Thank you to Angie Hockman, NetGalley and publishers Headline, Headline Eternal for the chance to read this book.

Strong female friendships and great family dynamic + enemies to lovers on a cruise. A fun read, though lacking in 'heat' for my tastes

Great read! Funny and light with juicy twists. A great book to take on holiday or for a spot of light reading, great mood lifter.

Would highly recommend giving it a go if you have a few hours.

3.75/5 stars, rounded up to 4. I really enjoyed my time reading Shipped. I loved Henley and Graemes relationship, there was so much sexual tension! I also loved exploring the galapogos throughout this book. The setting was incredible.
if you like The Unhoneymooners and The Hating Game, you will love this!

4.5 stars
This was such a lovely book, so much so that I caught myself breaking out into a big smile, or a coy one, many times as I read this.
The cruise ship and island setting was one that I enjoyed thoroughly and it gave me those escapist holidays vibes the whole time that they were away.
I also enjoyed what happened in regards to the promotion at the end. In so many of these books (The Hating Game, Last Tang Standing, to name a few) the man always steps aside for the woman to get the job. And I really liked the fact that that didn't happen here. It felt all the more believable and it was brilliant to see James get his comeuppance in the end.
I also liked seeing Henley's relationship with her sister and how the two interacted. The same can be said for her supportive friend circle/work team that she has assembled by the end.
And I was totally invested in Henley's life and her and Graeme.
Is it frustrating how Henley behaves, in regards to Graeme? Yes.
Throughout we see that he cares sincerely about her and everything that he does he does with her best interests in mind (like when he announces that they are together to Gustavo) but Henley overreacts and almost paints him as the bad guy, even after everything that she knows about him.
If you enjoyed The Hating Game, which I also adored, I've got a feeling that you will enjoy Shipped.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Funny, sweet and adorable! I LOVED this. New favorite, 5 stars.

OMG I absolutely fell in love with this cute read! Sooo special. Perfect for fans of The Hating Game and Sophie Kinsella. The love interest was sooooo swoony, the friendships were wonderful and it just made me feel warm and fuzzy!

I can't belive this was a debut - it made me a huge fan of this author after one read! I got an ARC of this through Netgalley but I loved it so much I'm about to order a paperback now!

Would I recommend this? YESSSS. I can't wait to read more from this talented author.

It’s taken me a while to get around to reading and reviewing Shipped. I’m pretty mad with myself for delaying reading the book because it is brilliant!

The synopsis grabbed my attention, but the cover hindered my eagerness to actually start reading. I decided to get started yesterday and could not put the book down.

Henley is an interesting character, she has a backstory that is revealed as the book progrssses. Nothing major, but important in terms of her character profile. Graeme is dreamy! Perfect love interest and a nice guy.

I’m a big fan of enemies to lovers stories, so this was a hit for me. I liked the sizzling chemistry between Henley and Graeme and, although frustrating, the decisions made by Henley to not pursue him were understandable and explained by her backstory.

The eco vibe to the story was lovely, it made a nice backdrop and was refreshing to read about.

Supporting characters were fun; images of Nikolai dancing to ‘I’m too sexy’ were described so vividly I had embarrassment-by-proxy!!

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but I will actively seek future reads from her. A highly recommended read.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 📚

This book arrived on my Kindle at the right time, after some heavy reading I needed something light and entertaining. 'Shipped' was a book that provided that. It's fun, cute and romantic - and provides the ending you need to put a smile on your face.
If you like enemies to lovers romances, then do have a read of this. The main characterisations are great, as are the side-characters. A really entertaining rom-com with some added themes of female empowerment and friendship to provide that needed substance.
Fun, romantic and quite cute!

I do enjoy an enemies to lovers story so I couldn’t wait to read Shipped. In this story we meet Henley a marketing manager eager to prove herself and get an important promotion. However it isn’t quite straight forward and she finds herself in direct competition with Graeme, the remote social media manager. They soon find themselves on board a cruise to the Galapagos both eager for that all important promotion. However they begin to see each other in a new light and that’s when the sparks begin to fly!

If you are looking for a light hearted and fun read then look no further. Shipped had a wonderful combination of characters that made me smile and a location that was like a breath of fresh air. Both Henley and Graeme had me smiling away at their back and forth banter. Along with a chemistry that builds with each interaction. I really enjoyed the way both Henley’s and Graeme’s personalities were revealed. Henley is likeable although a touch on the stubborn side but with a dedicated and caring nature. This makes her the perfect match to Graeme’s sweet and charismatic personality. Even if they don’t see eye to eye at first. For me even the minor characters brought lively and fun moments which helped to create a well rounded story.

I always love a book that whisks me away from reality and in Shipped I was taken all the way to the Galapagos. It’s not like I will ever get the chance to visit so I loved the location of the story. Especially as we see the characters visit various places and learn little snippets of information about the Galapagos. Shipped has that brilliant combination of sparkling chemistry and fun filled moments. A fabulous debut!

This was such a wonderful, fun read!.
Henley has been working hard in her job as a marketer for a cruise company, so when the opportunity for a promotion arises, she is sure she will bag it, however she soon realises that her nemesis Graeme is also up for the promotion, and despite never meeting him in person before, this leaves her reeling.
Their boss sends Harley and Graeme on a cruise to get a real feel for the role they will be taking on, and this is the first time they will actually meet their competition.

I loved the way in which this story was told, with the perfect mix of humour and heart warming moments.. The story was truly unique, along with the setting of the cruise ship.
The relationship between the characters were marvellous too, and I loved following their blossoming romance throughout.

A beautifully written, enjoyable read that I would recommend to everyone.

I interviewed Angie for the Climate Fiction Writers League: https://climatefictionwritersleague.substack.com/p/journalism-inspiring-fiction for 9th March release.
Really enjoyed this read, thank you for the opportunity! A great mix of environmentalism and romance.

Henley works hard at her marketing job for a cruise company. When a promotion opportunity becomes available in the office she is sure that she will get it up. So when she discovers her nemesis, Graeme is also up for the promotion she is far from impressed. Her boss decides that they both need to experience one of the cruises so tasks them with creating a new marketing proposal. Henley and Graeme have never met so the cruise will be their first meeting.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the setting, the cruise takes place on the Galapagos which is a really unique setting and I liked reading about the different excursions that the characters got to experience. I loved the relationship between the two characters. I really like the enemies to lovers trope and thought that it was done very well in this one.

This is the author's debut book and I can't wait to see what else they bring out in the future.

I was excited to read Shipped as comparisons to The Unhoneymooners and The Hating Game lured me in. Plus enemies to lovers is one of my favourite tropes!

The synopsis is readily available so I won’t share it here, but in short it follows Henley and Graeme who are rivals for a promotion forced to go on a cruise together for work. I really liked the mixed setting of both the Galapagos and the workplace; and I appreciated the author’s note about sustainability and ecotourism the Galapagos too.

However, I felt like the pacing was off in the book and at times it dragged a touch. I also found Henley to be quite unlikeable and I felt like her basis for hating Graeme seemed quite weak, especially to harbour a grudge for so long. Graeme seemed sweet though, like a genuinely decent person. Also, where the book highlighted difficulties women face in the workplace, I feel like it could have gone further and been developed more. I also don’t think that this book is as good as The Hating Game or The Unhoneymooners either, but perhaps I had my expectations too high and also expected similar steam levels.

It was well-written and a light, easy and escapist read. I also liked reading a book in an unexpected location- ideal for lockdown really! Although I appreciate that I have been critical, I do think it was a good debut and I look forward to reading further books by this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Headline Eternal for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw this book was compared to 'The Unhoneymooners' and 'The Hating Game' I was a little nervous. I mean. those are some big shoes to fill. After reading, I've got to say... it's accurate but not as brilliant as the hating game (which is my absolute favourite enemies to lovers romance). It was an exceptional enemies to lovers/work place romance that had that destination aspect.

Henley has never met Graeme in person, but she knows she can't stand him. And they're up for the same promotion at work. She works for a travel company and when she finds out she has to take one of their cruises... with Graeme... she doesn't know how to feel. She quickly finds out that Graeme is nothing like she expected him to be.

To get the job of her dreams, she has to have a better idea than Graeme. She has to best him. The problem? The more time she spends with him, the more she realized that he isn't quite the villain she's made him out to be. In fact, he's pretty amazing.

The chemistry and banter between Henley and Graeme- off the charts. Henley was a little headstrong and stubborn, but she had her reasons for being the way she was. Being a woman in her workplace wasn't easy. And Graeme- sigh. What an amazing hero. I couldn't have loved the guy more. He was a true sweetheart and he really liked and respected Hadley and wanted what was best for her.

I cannot believe that this is a debut novel. It's so well written, fun, witty, and was a blast to read. There is nothing I love more than falling head over heels with a new author. This is a book I'll highly recommend to all lovers of romance. Take a chance on Shipped. You won't regret it!

The perfect escape from a rainy British winter. Two rivals for a job are sent on a working trip to the Galápagos and start to fall for each other. The setting is original, and the love interest is appealing. I would have liked a bit more emphasis on the romance, and to have spent more time with the developing relationship, because they were so cute together, but the subplots of Henley’s work issues and her friends lives sometimes overshadowed it.

2.5 stars

Hanley Evans is a hard – working and focused young woman. Her job as a marketing manager is full – time, and she also takes MBA classes. There is not a lot of time left for private life but Hanley is satisfied and always finds time for her friends. And then she’s put up for a promotion – she’s sure she’ll get it, well, she works hard, right? But then it turns out that there is also another candidate, moreover, it’s her biggest rival Graeme Crawford – Collins who has already taken credit for one of her ideas. And that the big bosses can decide who will get the promotion, Hanley and Graeme are shipped to a company cruise in order to come up with the final proposal. Who’s going to get the job?

The book started really well, funny and light – hearted, but the more I read, the more suprrised I was with the story going downhills like a flash. My biggest disappointment were the characters, especially the main ones, who felt absolutely wooden, there was no life in them and no development. The book left me with a feeling that Hanley fooled me, I thought that she’s a hard – working, ambitious and funny person but quickly started to feel whingy, mean, petty and fussy, very self – centered, everything was about her, her, her. She was very defensive and I had a feeling she can’t relax.

I loved the idea of this book and only the thought of what can happen on the cruise made me smile in anticipation. However, the book is another example of the blurb being misleading and promising more than really is in the story. Sadly – because I feel cheated when the book promises so much and then doesn’t live up to the expectation. Eventually I started to skim – reading and then left huge chunks without a feeling that I’m missing something. I couldn’t even enjoy the beauty of Galapagos because it simply came too late.

I couldn’t feel any chemistry between Hanley and Graeme, sorry. It was really annoying when he started to appear everywhere Hanley was, too much of a chance, right? The whole romance aspect lacked in depth and the will they/won’t they didn’t work, I couldn’t understand some of their actions, first they are all over each other and in the next second Graeme is offended and not talking to Hanley, and how old are you??? And the fact that Hanley perceived Graeme as her arch enemy, her biggest rival only after a bit of miscommunication only shows her true character. Because, you know, it was absolutely obvious and clear that Graeme is not the person she thinks he is – he was a normal, decent person and everything was simply a mistake.

The writing was easy to follow and for me a bit too underdeveloped, too superficial. While there were some truly important and burning points highlighted in this story, such as the unfairness in the women’t employment, the fact that they have to work so much more and better and harder than men to get what they really deserve, it was done in a very predictable, simple and stereotyped way. Yes, hats off to Hanley for her courage but the way the whole situation was solved didn’t beat me down. It was a story that won’t stay with me for long but if you are looking for a nice and neat rivals – to – lovers tale, set mostly on gorgeous Galapagos, try this one.

Shipped
Angie Hockman
Pub date 19 jan 2021
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Review
Thank you for the e book for a honest review.
This is a lovely feel good romance I enjoyed so much Henley Evans is shortlisted for promotion and end up on a cruise ship. Henley is a fun character you enjoy. It’s a hate to lovers romance. The couple have good chemistry between them. I loved the cruise aspect to the story I’ve been on a cruise myself and enjoyed it. Like I enjoyed the story. This story would be great for a summer read or beach read perfect for holidays. I loved the idea it was a working holiday like a dream job that be you meet Graeme Crawford who also goes on a cruise ship as well both want a promotion in the company Henley is passionate about her work and I loved the romance in the story this book has a lovely cover and the writing style is beautiful written. I hope to read more by Angie hockman in the future such a lovely read