I really enjoy a Phoebe MacLeod novel, the characters are well crafted and there is always something to keep my attention.

This book is just as cute as its title. What a fun way to meet your forever human. I almost wish I was single so I could try it.

I was hooked from the cover and description and was so well done in this type of book, it uses the genre perfectly and was able to create the world perfectly. I enjoyed getting into this world and how everything worked with the romance concept. Phoebe MacLeod was able to weave a strong storyline and I cared about what was happening with the world and characters.

This turned out to be a more serious story than I originally assumed, at least in part. We have a woman who has sworn off men and wants to just be. Her friend tricks her into joining her on a singles cruise with specific enrollment into mixer sessions. The fallout and the cooling of the friendship for a duration was realistic given the scale of the surprise.

I have read a few of the author’s other works and I like the conversations that the characters have. The back and forth is done in an interesting manner. Even the final closure scenes are all about communication.

The story is straightforward with a fake-dating plan and forced room sharing involved. It was a decent read but I did hope for more based on the setup and my expectations based on other reads. I would still recommend it to fans of the genre who like the idea of travel. The cruise ship and some of the destinations en route are well described.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience of this and some of the author’s other books.

This was such a fun awesome read. Mostly captivating, and those twists and turns, I couldn’t predict what came next. I really enjoyed the premise of the story. Not too sappy for romance, just the right dose to be realistic, make sense but still have you kicking feet.

This is a charming, warm, and unexpectedly romantic story that had me hooked from the beginning. Ruby has officially given up on dating. Between good friends, a loyal cat, and modern technology, she’s convinced she’s not missing out on much. So when her flatmate signs her up for a singles cruise without telling her, she’s understandably furious—and completely unprepared to meet someone like Cameron.
Also duped into boarding this floating matchmaking experiment, Cameron is kind, funny, and exactly the sort of person Ruby’s promised herself she’s done with. They agree to team up strictly as friends to fend off eager suitors and the cruise’s overly enthusiastic host—but the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to ignore their chemistry.
This book is the perfect mix of lighthearted escapism and genuine emotional depth. Ruby’s voice is relatable and refreshingly honest, and the slow build between her and Cameron feels natural and earned. Their journey—both literal and emotional—was fun to follow, and the Mediterranean setting made everything feel just a little more romantic.
If you enjoy slow-burn stories with sharp dialogue and a heroine who isn’t afraid to protect her heart, this one will leave you smiling by the final page.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

This one was such a fun read. Ruby was such a relatable chaotic character. Cameron was total book boyfriend material. Their banter was hilarious and the chemistry was so there. The cruise background brings all the fun. It’s light and has just enough emotion to keep wanting to read. Perfect for when you want something light with emotions. Thank you so much to the author and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving a honest review

A rom com on a Mediterranean single cruise? Sign me up! Unfortunately, this book just didn't hit the mark for me. The pacing seemed all off and Cameron and Ruby didn't even meet until 35% through. I feel like by then it was just too late to build the chemistry needed to make their relationship have any depth other than superficial. As a light fluff book I enjoyed it, it's not a bad book, but going in with expectations for something more is what brought this down in my book.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

An easy read , entertaining and I loved it .
The perfect rom-com which had me laughing out loud . Brilliant writing style, funny entertaining characters and an interesting storyline . Pure escapism at its best!
Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Phoebe Macleod for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

I originally requested this ARC because of the cruise setting. I’ve been on a few cruises before but never experienced a cruise when I was single. I thought this would be a great read.

The book started with Ruby and Sam, who have been friends since childhood and now live together as adults. Ruby sworn off men and Sam has bad dates/boyfriend over and over again. They tried a couple ways to meet men, Sam for the most part, and landed on a singles cruise.

Ruby was befriended by this guy, Cameron, who didn’t expect that the single cruise was going to be for dating instead of just meeting new friends. So he decided to buddy-up with Ruby since both weren’t looking to meet anyone. And you’d probably know where the story goes from there.

Overall, it was a pretty solid read and I enjoyed the book. I found Sam, the best friend, mildly annoying and a bit self centered in the beginning. Since the book is mostly set on a cruise, there are a few topics about the activities they do and things they see at the cruise ports. Which could be a bit boring for some people but I do enjoyed it. I can see this book be a great palate cleanser or a book to pick if you’re on a reading slump.

This was such a quick and easy read, I loved the relationships between the characters, Ruby and Cameron. I enjoyed the slow burn as they started as friends first, and it developed into much more. The only issue is that the ending felt rushed. After a slow-burning romance, the ending felt like a disservice to the characters.

I recieved an arc of this book in exchange for an honesr review

Thanks to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and the author for the chance to read this book.

Another enjoyable and easy to read book by Phoebe MacLeod.
This story is about Ruby, who is happily single. Her best friend and flatmate Sam is very centred on finding "The One" and that results in some frustrating behaviour and interactions throughout the story. I liked the travel aspect of the story.

This was a cute book!! As a single person, I related to the characters and also had some self discovery with it! I loved the grumpy main character and this book was hilarious!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC copy!

Positives:
A grumpy female main character (Ruby) who has sworn off men
A singles cruise on the Mediterranean
fake dating
exciting adventures big cities along with the cruise
a fun minor character relationship with the flatmate, Sam

Negatives:
The pace. The first 30% of the book has nothing to do with the cruise. It almost felt like 2-3 separate stories.

Overall an easy read but the spark could have been lit a lot earlier.

Thank you Phoebe MacLeod and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this ARC via NetGalley.

Genre: Romance
Vibes: 👯‍♀️🛳️💑🍷😄
Rating: 5.0⭐
Tropes: travel romance / opposites attract / friends-to-lovers

I’m so glad I finished reading before the official publishing date — this is my first official 5 ⭐️ read. I really really could not love a book more. It honestly might just be the stage where I am in life, but now I want to jump on a single’s cruise.

I really felt connected to Ruby in the last couple chapters, as someone who has been single for the better part of five years and has found comfort in being single.

This book was a perfect read as a hopeless/hopeful romantic and as a single person. It had the perfect amount of comedy but also made me reflect on myself towards the end. (I know not everyone will have the same internal reflection, but I just needed to mention how this book affected me.)

I will 💯 be recommending this to my friends to read.

An enjoyable palette cleanser romcom with likeable characters, an easy storyline to get into and an unique setting within a singles group on a cruise ship.

This is a cute story about finding love when you are not looking for it. I enjoyed the cruise ship setting and could relate as I'd gone on a cruise myself (although I went with my husband so I wasn't looking for love). I would definitely recommend this if you are sucker for meddling friends, fake dating and pets that are their own characters.

I tried to get into this one but I just couldn’t. The writing was flat and not engaging. The premise was interesting so I was disappointed.

oh boy - after reading the do over, I ironically wanted to give Phoebe macleod a do over! I hated that book and was going into this open minded. I will say, it's a million miles better than the do over, so I'm very pleased about that, and, if I could give half stars here, I'd give it 2.5 stars to be more exact. However, this still fell VERY short for me. Firstly, I counted and 50% of this book to be exact is spent on Sam, the FMC's best friend, being the worst, most annoying friend and character possible to the point it just overrode all of the plot. Secondly, whilst I really liked Cameron's character, nothing in this book was fleshed out so we don't know anything about him but his job! He has no history, no background mentioned, nothing - I couldn't get attached to him the way I wanted to! Finally, the cherry on top, their sex described as over quickly but satisfactory - I think I'd die if that's how sex was described with me by 'the one'. Then, all of a sudden in the epilogue, they're married. We skip all the lovely bits right to that. The entire book really is two people meeting for the first time and it being awkward rather than a slow burn or falling for each other, which is fine if there's actual romance involved, but there wasn't! I was rooting for them, and for this book, but it unfortunately didn't hit the way I'd wished.