3.5 stars! This one had the potential to be a 5 star read – fun concept: fake dating – trapped together on a cruise ship with each of their (terrible) ex’s, but it fell flat. The main character development felt shallow, and didn't feel like they actually had a deep connection. I was left not really caring if they got together or not. This book is perfect for a summer beach/lake/pool side read.

Jessa’s boyfriend dumps her at their friend’s wedding and then he turns up with a new girlfriend two weeks later who, coincidentally also broke up with her boyfriend friend at the same wedding. Suspicious timing right? Jessa and Brody are ready to get back at their partners for dumping them so they decide to pretend to be dating when they have to all attend another friends wedding and are forced to share a suite when there are no more rooms available on the cruise ship to the destination wedding. But the more time they spend plotting their revenge against their exes, the blurrier the line gets and the harder it gets to ignore their chemistry.
The setting was loads of fun and if you’re a fan of fake dating/one bed trope you’re in for a treat with this one. The banter between Brody and Jessa was fun and their romance, while it could have used a little more depth, was sweet and fun to read.
Looking forward to a poolside or beach read? Look no further. Fans of Emily Henry are going to enjoy.
Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

This book turned out to be a good choice for my seaside holiday. Even though I am not a fan of the fake dating trope, I found the novel funny and entertaining. But it was also a bit chaotic and lacked depth. I'd still give it a go if you are looking for a lighthearted poolside read.

Synopsis: Jessa gets dumped by her boyfriend Todd at their friend's wedding. In the meantime, Brody is also being dumped by his girlfriend Nikki. A few days later Todd and Nikki are as a couple.

Jessa's best friend's wedding is approaching, which involves a cruise to Sicily. Jessa, Brody, Todd and Nikki have to share adjoining suites on the cruise ship. Jessa and Brody decide to pretend they are dating/in love to make their exes jealous...

Going Overboard was a quirky, quick read. I would give it 4/5 stars. Portia MacIntosh packs so much fun into her books, along with emotions.

This is a closed door/fade to black romance. The spice isn't really needed. Portia MacIntosh writes her characters so real. The "villian" in this book made me want to smack her across the face so bad.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the e-ARC. This review is my own opinion.

In Going Overboard, Jessa’s boyfriend Todd dumps her on the dance floor at a wedding. That’s bad enough, but to make matters worse? They’re both in the wedding party for Jessa’s best friend’s destination wedding just a few weeks after the breakup. When a room mixup makes it so that Jessa is staying in the same cruise cabin with Todd, his new girlfriend Nikki, and Nikki’s recent ex Brody, Jessa and Brody team up to make things as uncomfortable for Todd and Nikki as possible.

It took me a minute to lean into the goofiness of this book, but once I did, it was a great time! I laughed a lot at Jessa and Brody’s antics and their banter was top notch. It was a fun, lighthearted, summery read for sure. I feel like we didn’t get a lot of background and character development overall, but especially for Brody. I would have liked to see a little more there to really believe their connection beyond messing with Todd and Nikki. Overall though, this was a fun ride!

Give Going Overboard a read if you enjoy :
▫️Fake dating
▫️Forced proximity
▫️Only one bed
▫️Great banter
▫️Laugh out loud moments

Breakups, fake dating, and cruise ship chaos? Yes, please! 😍 In this hilarious rom-com, Jessa finds herself stuck in a cabin with her ex, his new girlfriend, and the charming (but infuriating) Brody. Cue revenge plans, steamy sparks, and nonstop laughs. 🤭🔥 A must-read for fans of fake dating and feel-good romance! 💕🌴

It was fun to see the fake dating on the cruise ship. Really enjoyed this light hearted funny read and liked the characters too. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

If you are looking for a fun lighthearted laugh out loud book, then this is definitely one to pick. I absolutely loved the concept of this story, 2 jilted couples all sharing the same friendship groups, find themselves having to share more than just being on the same cruise ship as part of their friend's extravagant wedding. Thanks netgalley and publishers for allowing me to read a copy of this book.

Jessa’s perfect evening is shattered when her boyfriend Todd dumps her mid–first dance at a wedding. Little does she know that across the room, cricket star Brody is dealing with his own heartbreak — his girlfriend Nikki just blindsided him too. Later, the pieces fall into place: Todd and Nikki are now a couple.

Jessa braces for awkwardness at her best friend’s destination wedding cruise to Sicily, but nothing prepares her for a booking disaster that puts her in a shared suite with Todd, Nikki and Brody.

With nowhere to hide, Jessa and Brody strike a deal: fake a sizzling romance to make their exes jealous. What starts as a revenge pact quickly becomes something more as sparks fly, tempers flare, and the line between pretending and feeling gets blurry.

The characters are well written: I loved the side characters, despised Todd and Nikki and ADORED Brody. Jessa took me a while to warm too - she definitely started as the grump in grumpy x sunshine relationship.

I found this started slow but once it picked up and they were on the ship I binged my way through the book in one sitting.

This was my first read by Portia MacIntosh but I've already added her other books to my TBR 📚

If you're looking for witty banter, fun romance and a happy ever after - this is for you.

Going Overboard by Portia MacIntosh is a charming and witty escape that had me grinning from the very first chapter. The cruise ship setting makes for a fun, breezy backdrop, and the characters are instantly lovable. I appreciated the blend of romance and laugh-out-loud moments—it never took itself too seriously, and that’s what made it such a joy. If you're in the mood for a lighthearted, feel-good read, this one definitely delivers.

This books is super light-hearted and funny with some faking dating thrown in. It was a quick easy read that I enjoyed. There are 3 weddings in this book each wedding gives Jessa something to deal with in her life.

The first wedding Jessa's boyfriend breaks up with her. And she gives relationship advice to a woman in a toilet cubicle because her boyfriend wouldn't commit.

The second wedding Jessa's ex boyfriend turns up with a new girlfriend who happens to be the ex of one of the grooms men, Brody. And while trying to catch the wedding flowers may or may not end up in a fountain.


And onto the 3rd wedding on a cruise Jessa and Brody end up sharing a suite with their ex's. From pretending to be together to real love is the journey of the rest of the book.

3rd act drama was definitely coming but I'm glad it didn't last long and was relatively easy to solve.


Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for this book✨

I love Portia’s books! They are so different to anything I would normally read but so far all the ones I’ve read by her I’ve really enjoyed! They are perfect holiday reads. So funny they are just so uplifting and good!
the FMC Jessa is happily crusing through life with her boyfriend Todd - Ew we hate him 🤣 At a friends wedding Todd dumps Jessa out of the blue and although she’s heartbroken they still have wedding season to get through with their friend group. Enter Nikki and Brody another couple who have recently broken up and Jessa’s life will never be the same again!!
This book is hilarious, I honestly loved every second of it! Highly recommend!
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Release date - 26th July 2025

I really love Brody, he is an absolute sweetheart as well as a stud! Jessa has some hilarious moments, but I also wanted to shake her several times!
I felt it was a bit of a slow burn to get to the exciting bit of the cruise where the fake dating trope promised to really come to the fore, but when it did get there it was comic relief galore.
I loved the friendship group they had, Kelsey especially was exactly the kind of bestie everyone deserves to have.
A light romance with some drama, fake dating and forced proximity, what's not to enjoy!

Jessa is dumped at a wedding, during a dance by her boyfriend Todd and is completely blindsided. Now she has to go to a destination wedding on a cruise with him and his new girlfriend to Sicily. Because of the last minute changes to bookings and well....couples, Jessa finds herself having to share a suite with Brody and his new girlfriend Nikki but also with Brody who is Nikki's ex, cue the fake dating and the usual chaos of a Portia Macintosh book lol!

This has got to be one of the best books Portia has released and i say that as a huge fan of any books that has Millsy in it!

The perfect book to bring with you on your holidays this summer!

Portia MacIntosh is a newish author for me. There are somethings I had to look up, as an American, but most things I got from context. I laughed and smiled throughout. There were times my heart cracked for the characters. A great HEA. I'd pick up another book by this author.

Omg this book was so cute. I absolutely loved everything about it. The characters the humor the banter like I read this in a day maybe less. I couldn't put it down. This is my first time reading this author and boy it didn't disappoint in the least. I mean think about it can you imagine being stuck on a ship with your ex and have to share a room ?! I couldn't do it lol l felt for Jessa I truly did. But I really didn't care for Todd in the least he just was kinda a stiff lol. Brody was hilarious and I just adored him. I loved the relationships Jessa had with her friends and how close they were and how they all just meshed so well together and how they stood by her when Todd dumped her. They didn't choose sides which was so refreshing!! Gosh I could go on and on about this book. It's seriously so dang good. Definitely a great summer read and overall just pure fantastic!! Definitely need more by this author now !!!

Love a Portia MacIntosh & this one didn't disappoint! Jessa has been with her boyfriend Todd for a couple of years and thinks their relationship might be progressing onto the next step. However, this all comes crashing down when Todd dumps Jessa at a friend's wedding. Soon, it becomes apparent that Todd has swiftly moved onto Nikki, whose ex boyfriend is cricket superstar Brody. Things get complicated and exciting when Jessa and Todd's friends get married on a cruise ship and Jessa and Brody end up sharing a suite. The chemistry is great, I really like Jessa and Brody's characteristics - fun, exciting and not too serious. My only bugbear was the setting of this novel being in the summer, as a pro cricketer, that would be a lot of time he would be missing playing cricket! But it didn't detract, it was good fun and great escapism. Thanks to Net Galley for the advanced copy

Blurb:
That ship has sailed… right?

Jessa is happily cruising through life - until her boyfriend Todd dumps her, out of the blue, at a wedding, during the first dance. She doesn’t know it but just across the room, cricket superstar Brody is also being blindsided by his girlfriend, Nikki. It suddenly makes sense in the days that follow - Todd and Nikki are now together.

Jessa wants to crawl under a rock, but with her best friend’s destination wedding on a cruise to Sicily - and her ex and his new girlfriend onboard - there’s no escape. She’s hoping the ship is big enough to avoid them but, unlucky for her, a booking mix-up means she’s sharing a two-bed suite with Todd, Nikki, and the handsome but infuriating Brody too.

With no choice but to ride out the awkwardness, Jessa and Brody hatch a plan. If they can’t win their exes back, they’ll get them back - revenge - by faking a red-hot romance of their own. That’ll show them. But the better they get at faking it - and the more undeniable their chemistry - the blurrier the line becomes. Either way, there’s going to be trouble at sea because true love is never plain sailing!

Review:

I enjoyed Jessa’s first person point of view throughout the novel. She was relatable in many ways. I did not like Todd at all, even from the start; thankfully Brody grew on me. He was much more likeable. The entire story was just a fun read altogether.

Overall, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 stars from me for this enjoyable summer read.

A fun, lighthearted romcom. The beginning felt a bit slow and honestly, I almost lost interest—but once it picked up, it turned into a decent read. I didn’t exactly love it, but I didn’t hate it either. It was just… good. A nice one to pick up if you’re in the mood for something easy and breezy.

Portia MacIntosh knows how to write fun, lighthearted Romanace books with a strong RomCom feel and she has once again delivered with Going Overboard.

This was such a fun, charming laugh out loud read jam packed with all the tropes I love, Jessa is left heartbroken after being cruelly dumped on the dance floor of a wedding, fellow guest Brody was also dumped at the exact same time, soon discovering their exes are now together they hatch the typical fake dating/revenge plan. What follows is carnage, chaos & mishap after mishap. Jessa is so much fun and chaos seems to follow her while Brody is sweet, caring, lovable & equally funny, they were so great together with so much brilliant banter.

The writing was so gorgeous, it flowed effortlessly with a smooth easy narrative and gorgeous characters, I flew through this is one and it ended way sooner than I wanted it to, which is always a great complaint.

This would be the perfect holiday, poolside read.