𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★★★★☆
𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠🎵: Swimming Pools by Francis Forever
𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐭/𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞: 1.5/5
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: enemies to lovers • workplace romance • forbidden love

"𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙞𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮, 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮, 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙡𝙮, 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪"

⛱️👙🌞🍊🥥🌸

This was a light-hearted, fun read. I enjoyed both of the characters and the plot was really unique and creative. I don't think I've ever read a romance book that took place on a boat, so this is a first for me! I really liked the below deck and coastal vibes throughout this book and it would make this book a perfect vacation + summer read. The writing was pretty good but I did find myself getting bored at a couple of parts. The tropes were REALLY good, but I'm a sucker for a good "enemies to lovers" theme. The workplace romance on A BOAT was super cool and fun, but the forbidden love part was a little annoying. (That's one of my least favorite tropes, but not in this case.) The banter between Isabella and Jack was really cute and funny. You can feel their chemistry all throughout the book. HOWEVER, there was a short bout of miscommunication towards the end of the story that I DID NOT CARE FOR, but it was resolved somewhat quickly and happily.

I really liked Jack's character. He had an AMAZING character development and became this sweet and caring guy. Jack is definitely a book boyfriend. Isabella was ok. I think it was cool she was a chef, but other than that, she was a pretty average FMC. I also enjoyed the side characters and they helped build the environment/setting of working on a boat.

Isabella is trying something she's never done before- spending her summer working on a boat. After working as a chef at a fancy restaurant in London, she's ready to get her sea legs. But before she hops on the boat that will whisk her away, she runs into a rather rude man at the bar. Thinking she'll never see him again, she forgets the whole ordeal. But when she steps on the boat she will soon realize he was not just any man. He is now her coworker. The two will have to work under the same roof, in the same boat. A somewhat small boat I might add. Soon the two realize there is no way they can avoid each other and will be forced to become allies. Maybe friends? But under the surface of their allied friendship lies a burning attraction that neither can seem to forget. As the summer heat turns up so does this sizzling chemistry.

thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC in exchange for an honest review
~ RELEASES JUNE 20 ~

This was a really sweet romance, perfect for the summer time. The characters were delightful and the plot was fun.

This was an interesting book. The cover and synopsis caught my eye initially as it was something I haven’t yet read in this genre.

In reading the book though I came across a few issues, namely Sofia and Jack. As a romance reader, the most important thing to me is the likability of the main characters and how they interact with each other and the people around them.

This is where I believe the book misses the mark but there is most definitely room for improvement as the author continues in their writing journey.

Major Below Deck vibes which I loved - I haven't read a book in that setting before. I do think there were moments that were a little slow for me and made the overall book less enjoyable so I gave it a 3 star for that reason

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book ahead of its release.

I loved the description of the book and thought it would be one I’d really love.
Unfortunately I really struggled to get through it.

This is of no reflection on the authors talent, I just personally felt I didn’t connect with the book as well as I’d hoped.

The perfect summer will they won’t they romance novel that will be perfect when you are sat by the pool in the sun. I loved the below deck feel of life on this chartered yacht and the streamline crew running the latest charter for two reality tv stars. As the barriers between work colleagues and more than friends blur is love more important than a dream job at sea.

So for such a chaotic book this was quite entertaining and cute, the premises are perfection what can go wrong 🤣. Definitely enjoyed it and such a good summer read

Love Overboard has great banter. Jack and Sophia meet at a bar, which ends with her throwing a drink in his face. She is in Italy to restart her life as a chef on a chartered yacht. And of course it ends out Jack is the first officer. Neither are thrilled when they meet the second time. And they banter but the problem is the might banter a bit too much. Sophia literally trusts no one for more than about ten minutes and Jack has a fair amount of emotional mood swings. I get fighting attraction, but at some point, they have fought too hard for me to buy the true love after two weeks. Which is a shame, I really liked both the characters (and the side characters) it was a fun read, but not a great read. I will keep an eye for other Ada Barume books, I bet she has one that has the burn paced right. I would imagine folks that love below deck reality shows, would enjoy passing the time with this book. I read an ARC.

Sophia joins a luxury yacht as the chef. A senior crewman Jack makes an awkward first impression. They are almost hostile to each other. Will that change? An easy light hearted read

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read Love Overboard. I did read the book in its entirety but this book just simply wasn’t for me. Love Overboard contained lots of my favorite tropes and themes and I was extremely excited to read it but unfortunately I felt as though the tropes and plot were poorly executed. Lots of the conversations between characters were flat and awkward.

I really, really wanted to like this book.

Info dumps, random chapters from the MMC's point of view, awkwardly placed flashbacks... it made every page an unpleasant experience.

Love Overboard follows Sofia who is a chef and Jack who is a first officer on a luxury yacht. They are thrown together as a part of the crew where they sail to the Amalfi Coast. They get into an argument and vow to not interact with each other while on the boat for the rest of the season. There is a disaster with one of their guests which forces them to put aside their rocky starts for the rest of the charter.
Sofia and Jack discover they may have more in common than they first thought.
There are a lot of tropes in this book for sure! Enemies to lovers, forced proximity and work colleagues.

Although I did finish the book, I did find that I was skimming it more often than not. Both of the characters I thought were unlikeable and super judgemental. I sometimes felt like the story was being forced or it stuttered in some places. They were both kinda childish but not willing to change their actions.
There was also a sudden shift to Jack's point of view in the middle of the book which was kinda annoying. I am normally really into a dual POV but normally, it switches between chapters. It sort of stopped the flow of the story and felt choppy.

It was a quick read and did feel like an episode of Below Deck! I think this would be great as a YA book but could use a little editing as the layout is a bit strange. If it went into a bit more depth, there is a lot of promise for this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. Views are my own.

I tried really really hard to enjoy this book. Enemies to lovers is one of my favourite trope but this just didn’t do the trope well. It felt more like teenagers squabbling than two adults who are going to get together. It’s a shame as I thought I’d love this one.

I was super excited about this one because I *love* a good enemies to lovers. I really wish the dual POV was more than just a few random chapters - it was choppy and really threw me off. Overall, it was good but not anything I'll be thinking about a week from now.

I was going to save this book for my holiday but I just couldn’t wait to read it! This book is just EVERYTHING! Sofia is so perfect! I loved every part of this!!

This was so cute and I had a really good time with it. Perfect for summer and will definitely be sharing with friends when it comes out!

I love the enemies-to-lovers trope and adore stories set on ships, so this book seems like a win-win. Unfortunately, the execution was a bit choppy (pun intended) and could use some refinement. "Love Overboard" by Ada Barumé is a sweet romance that incorporates several tropes besides enemies-to-lovers, such as forced proximity, work colleagues, slow-burn, and emotional scars.

English Chef Sophia quits her successful job to accept a position as Chef aboard Captain Mary's luxury yacht. Her co-workers include Petra - the head steward, Patricio - the steward, Declan - the deckhand, Stuart - the chief engineer, and Jack - an American and the first officer. She doesn't get off to a great start, thanks to altercations with Jack the evening before. A fight over strawberries escalates hostility between the two, leading to the decision to go their separate ways: she stays below deck, and he above to avoid conflict. Things go downhill from there as they continue to bicker over nonsense. As fate keeps throwing them together, and they go on two trips with the guests, Sophia starts to wonder if there is more to Jack than meets the eye.

Overall, it was a quick and fun read. The book is written in the third person from Sophia's perspective, interspersed with sudden flashbacks to her past. Toward the middle of the book, there are a couple of chapters written in the third person from Jack's perspective. While I enjoyed reading Jack's inner thoughts, it did disrupt the flow of the story. Additionally, the jumps between times were not smoothly done.

In terms of characters, I found the heroine to be childish, quick to make assumptions, judgmental, and prone to overreacting or acting foolishly at times. Throwing a glass of wine on a complete stranger just because she didn't like his approach was a bit too much. She knew she couldn't handle alcohol, yet she drank anyway. Some of the side characters also behaved oddly, alternating between giving hot and cold shoulder with silly reasons and just being rude overall. Not that Jack was holier-than-thou; sometimes, he was portrayed as grumpy and overbearing.

Moreover, there were some stereotypes present, such as Jack being initially depicted as a rich and entitled white guy, while the brown skin color of the heroine was emphasized too much. Also, it was pointed out a few times that the heroine felt connected to another colored guy because they shared the same skin color, which I found jarring. I don't choose my friends based on their color and I wondered if her first reaction to Jack would have been different were he the same color as her. I don't think it was done intentionally, but it did make one wonder.

While I enjoyed some of the banter and loved the ending, some dialogue was juvenile. There were also a couple of erotic scenes (including a dream) that didn't contribute to the story much. However, I did appreciate the developed relationship between the two women aboard, as well as the exploration of themes such as alcoholism, loss, discrimination of women in the workplace, and sexual assault. The setting, including the yachting aspect of it, was well done. I found the Captain's rules one-sided and odd. Additionally, I liked the two trips to the ports and the background stories of the characters, which added depth to the story.

The book could have used tighter editing for minor typos, misspellings, and errors such as a lack of space between words and a sentence repeating itself. Overall, it was a good solid read, one I enjoyed despite its flaws. Therefore, I rate the book 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to fans of steamy romance.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

This was a fun and quick read! If you’re a fan of below deck and some slightly questionable characters then this is for you!
I did struggle a bit with some of the dialogue and I didn’t really connect to the characters but that’s just me
I think the idea has real premise and it’s worth a go but overall I wish it had a bit more depth and the characters were more fleshed out

A light, frothy romantic read with echoes of Below Deck. I wanted me from the story than the flimsy narrative I was given. Other younger readers will enjoy it but it was not for me.

Let’s jump right in shall we with my likes & dislikes.

Likes:
• Below Deck vibes (not something I have read previously so was definitely different for the plots sake)
• the author explains the boat lingo for the reader
• quick chapters
• pretty steady pace
• the FMC being a chef, and us having knowledge of her prior employment and baggage
• the deepest relationship on the ship was between Petra and Sofia which we love healthy positive non-romantic girlfriends
•HEA for all

Dislikes:
• Below Deck vibes (felt like I was reading the transcript of a few episodes, maybe this wouldn’t be an issue for someone who hasn’t seen the show)
• the two trips off the boat are essentially the same outcome with different characters so felt redundant.
• the random 2 chapters in Jacks POV after the 50% mark. I actually had to go search through the book to see if I had missed prior Jack POVs and when I realized I hadn’t I felt even more confused. It was nice to know how he was feeling but the fact it was just 2 back to back random chapters was infuriating.
• the politics of what was happening on this boat behind closed doors is an HR departments worst nightmare — whilst the characters didn’t do anything to warrant being in “trouble”. It felt conflicting.


Typos/Errors Found:
18% Mark, 619 out of 3472 - it says
“Only two years ago they had been relatively normal. She, a paralegal from Swansea, and he a mid tier footballer a paralegal from Swansea, and he, a mid tier foot yacht as a private chef and deckhand laid out …… etc”

23% Mark, 812 of 3472 — it says
“That you very much, Chef Harlow.”
Should be thank you I believe.