I absolutely adored this book. I ate it up like Nutella on toast. It was so so so cute, warm and wholesome with some great steamy scenes🔥 I adore Oscar; especially Oscar AND Eliza together. They make each other better and I’m all here for it. I did think it was a bit long, over 400 pages I think, especially for a romance, but by the end I had no faults and didn’t get bored at all. It was easy to read and omg, so hilariously funny. I was laughing by page one! I also appreciate the short chapters (my fave) and it was equally fast paced which made me not want to put the book down. I’m obsessed with Below Deck and this is legit al the BD vibes ✨ I loved Madison as well and wish I had more of her story though, she wasn’t in it as much but maybe another book? 👀 I must say though, those group parties were SO MUCH FUN!! iykyk 🔥 I legit was almost late for work when I was reading those chapters 😂also HUGE appreciation for the mention of musicals and the west end because I work there and it’s fun to see what you know come alive in books 🎭 *sings Six multiple times* 👑 I can’t really say anymore without spoilers, and I do spoiler free reviews but I really enjoyed this one as I’m desperate for book number two already 🥰 Philippa is definitely an author I’m keeping my eye on! And she’s also so friendly and has kindly chatted to me in my DMs as well 😊🥰

Thank you to @netgalley and the author @philippayoung for this #gifted #arc in exchange for an honest review. This book is out NOW so go grab yourself a copy!! 🛳️

I’m no stranger to smut but this book was a little different than expected. I will say that the developing relationship between Eliza and Oscar hooked me from about halfway in the book but the first half was a little too intimacy heavy and overshadowed the plot itself.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this arc!
I really enjoyed this. I just came home from my first cruise and saw cruise smut and thought—yep I need to read this.
Bi men in books!!! My only ?? Moment was a third act miscommunication which ultimately hinged on a bi stereotype which I assume was not intentional and was handled well by the other party, but it did raise my eyebrows when I read it.
Eliza was a delight and I loved her, and Oscar 👀🥵 I loveeeeee him.
Anyway most of the things I could write are spoilers so I shan’t. Just know this was a fun and spicy book 🥰🥰🥰

I LOVED this book! As someone who is a big fan of the show, Below Deck, this was a fun read! Of course it’s a large cruise ship, not a small chartered vessel like the show, but same idea - love triangles, drama, them all being in close quarters, sex. Like a reality show in book form (with more spice)! 4 stars!

I love cruising - in fact I've been on over 25 cruises and have more booked! Crew life onboard a cruise ship has always fascinated me, and I appreciate their hard work. Especially knowing they are separated from friend and family at home for months at time. This was a fun read, peeling the curtain back, and letting us imagine what life is like on the lower decks of the ship. I have ordered this for our library collection!

A new to me author for me that I haven't read any books by Philippa Young. More than Shipmates, a spicy romance set on a cruise ship. This story was only an okay book for me it didn't really grab me. I liked the setting and some of the characters.

As someone who loves a good rom-com with sweet main characters AND the show Below Deck, I ate this book up so thank you NetGalley and Philippa Young for the opportunity to review!

Eliza is setting sail as part of the crew on a huge cruise ship where she meets Tom and Oscar. Eliza seems to be running away from a disappointing past and hopes to find herself and her future on the ship. Tom and Oscar are also running from their past but together, they find that maybe it's time to stop running.

This was such a cute read with a dash of love triangle (no cheating). Eliza's growth from beginning to end was really nice to watch and left me really rooting for her in the end.

At first you don't know which guy you really want Eliza to end up with but this book has you rooting for one over the other in a heartbeat while still having you want the other guy to succeed (and from what I've read, we'll get his story in the next book).

Such a fun read for summer!

This book is the PERFECT summer read! The cover just screams summer time and I was so excited to jump into this. I adored the main character, Eliza and loved reading her story. Also, now I want to book a cruise? This just was the perfect rom-com which angst, swooning, flirty banter and fun. Cant recommend enough! Also, its debut?! wild!

DNF @ 10% - I tried on multiple occasions to read this book but I could not get into it (the story, the characters).

Thank you Netgalley & Summer Stars for the advanced copy.

Wowsers! I will never look at a cruise ship the same!
Probably not one for my old ladies in my book group but I have a lot of customers who will absolutely love this. Very on trend for all my Below Deck lovers

Such a lush summer romance! We’ve got love triangles , we’ve got some genuinely funny writing in places & we have a summer holiday setting that had me dreaming of jetting off & living my best yacht life (lol I wish!) I really liked this one, I don’t want to give anything away story wise but it was a fab summery read!

** 2.5 stars **
I love cruising and I always imagine what the lives of the performers are like, so I was so excited to start this one. But I’ll be honest, I really thought this book would be for me… and it just wasn’t. For starters, I really wasn’t expecting this to be a full out love triangle (based on synopsis and many descriptions/events throughout the book). I think this story would have benefitted from being a “why choose”, but I know that can come down to personal preference. I also thought it was a bit longer than maybe it needed to be and some of the chapters were a bit wordy/lengthy.
•
Let me also say, I know for sure that there will be people who love this. There was some hilarious dialogue that I actually laughed out loud at, and I can imagine that this could be a great vacation read. I also really loved one of the love interests, I just think my love of the characters got drowned out by the pacing, perspectives, and some of the plot choices.
•
Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this book and provided my honest thoughts.
Happy reading!

This book had me on the edge of my seat , I love how each chapter was from a different persons point of view. I wish I could read this book again for the first time. Some very steamy scenes and very romantic which I love in a book! The first thing that attracted me to this book was the cover and illustrations very eye catching I love a good book cover. Definitely Oscar for me all the way.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This was such a fun summer read!

Eliza needs to escape life so she signs a six month contract to work for the entertainment staff on a cruise ship. There she meets Tom, who is sweet and charming and Oscar, who is a reformed playboy.

It was great seeing how each character helped each other grow. I thought the characters were very well written, and didn’t know who to root for at times! This book had me laughing and crying! It also gave off major Below Deck vibes!


I loved all the different tropes! Multiple POVs, workplace romance, forced proximity, love triangle, and the spice!! This was such a fun and easy read! What an amazing debut novel from Philippa Young! I’m looking forward to reading more from her!

📘: More Than Shipmates by Philippa Young
🗓️: June 1, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley, Philippa Young, and Summer Stars Publishers for this ARC!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*Reviewed on NetGalley and Goodreads.

I don't know. This one just didn't quite vibe with me as it should have? It has great tropes and a love triangle. Maybe the love triangle was something that put me off for the moment. I may try reading it again, then maybe I'd be able to judge it more appropriately.

This was good! I’d say 3.5 ⭐️ I enjoyed Eliza’s story and all the side characters. I really wish Tom and Eliza ended up more than just friends, especially after Tom and Oscar’s moment that one night 🤭 Oscar was still a good choice but I wanted her to have both 🤷🏻‍♀️ This book was a bit too long but overall a nice read! (Posted this review on Goodreads and Amazon.)

THE PERFECT SUMMER READ DOES EXIST!
I loved everything about this book! The love triangle, multiple POVs, romance in the workplace, spice.. all chefs kiss 🤌🏻
The characters were all so fun and sexy almost made me want to go work on a cruise ship- although I don’t think my husband OR child would like that too much!

Philippa Young, you did the damn thing and I can’t wait for your next one! 🫶🏻

Get out of here with how good this book was!

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley courtesy of Phillipa Young in exchange for an honest review.

I was not prepared to enjoy this as much as I did. I was laughing out loud and smiling (when I wasn't crying). I am not generally one for a love triangle trope, but I was instantly hooked on this one (even if I had a favourite from the beginning).

Eliza just can't do anything right in her life, so she packs up to work on a 6-month cruise contract as part of the entertainment staff. Before even boarding, she meets a handsome and hilarious American, Tom, who also happens to be escaping life to join sea life. After boarding, Eliza gets caught in her "pants" in what she thought was her cabin - but nope! It belongs to the quiet, mysterious Oscar Harvey (reformed bad boy). Cruise ship shenanigans ensue and a story of love and friendship is wound through.

This book had me laughing, crying, and shouting NOOOOO at the characters and situations Young put them in. Plus, it had some lovely tension and didn't leave you hanging on the spice.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

I cannot believe that this is a debut novel! Think Below Deck but a spicy rom-com. This novel had it all for me, a love triangle, work place romance, and forced proximity! Though this was longer than the typical rom-com I was still able to read this novel over the course of one day. This had more spice than I was expecting which is a plus in my book! I enjoyed the multiple POV’s, I believe this helped Eliza, Tom, and Oscar feel fleshed out and relatable. At different points in the novel I found myself rooting for both men though I am ultimately happy with who Eliza ended up with and cannot wait for the next book! Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this fun and easy read, I highly recommend!

It’s ALWAYS the innocent cover books. This was a fun summer read.

The setting was interesting and new, which made the tropes in this book seem a little more fresh.

Did not expect Oscar to be the BOLD man he is, iykwim ;)

Looking forward to the next one. The one sentence snippet already has me hooked.

Thanks NetGalley for the eARC.