This is a fun, entertaining read. I enjoyed these characters and their romance. They are so much fun to spend time with – especially once the games begin and in some ways the tables are turned on them or rather their feelings. I loved the friendship aspect. Fake dating is one of my favourite tropes and this book did it more than justice. Brody and Jessa captured my attention from the very beginning and held it until the very end. I love an epilogue and the one we got here was the icing on the cake of their romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Super cute, quick read. Jessa's closest friends are getting married and she assumes she'll also end up with her boyfriend, Todd. But when he breaks up with her on the dance floor at a wedding, she's surprised to see him turn up just two weeks later to their friends' wedding with a new girlfriend, Nikki. What's a girl to do? Connect with single best man Brody who just happens to be Nikki's ex-boyfriend. It's just pretend. And she won't see him again, right? Except that her friend Kelsey's wedding includes a five-day cruise and Jessa finds herself assigned to a two room suite with Todd and Nikki. Brody and Jessa decide to fake date to show their exes that they're doing just fine. It doesn't take long before Jessa and Brody realize that maybe their romance isn't fake after all...

I honestly did not expect to love this book as much as I did! As someone who’s not a huge fan of the fake dating trope, I ate this one up. Their chemistry and banter was actually funny and I loved them together, as well as the friendship group dynamic and everything going on with their exes. I would have loved to see a tad more of them as an actual couple / some more romance but overall I thoroughly enjoyed it. This would be perfect as a holiday read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC.

✨Tropes you’ll love:
💖 Enemies to lovers
🛳️ Forced proximity (hello, cruise ship!)
👯‍♀️ Found family vibes
💬 Witty banter
🔥 Slow burn romance

📖 Blurb in a Blink:
Jessa’s stuck on a cruise with her ex’s new fiancée 😬—but when Brody (a handsome stranger with charm to spare) enters the picture, things get very interesting… Will sparks fly on the high seas or sink before they start? 💘🌊

📝 My Thoughts:
This was such a cute and fast-paced summer read! 💛
Jessa is an absolute QUEEN 👑—funny, confident, and so relatable. Brody? Total book boyfriend material 😍
I LOVED watching their relationship unfold, with Portia’s signature humor and heart on full display. 💬💞

Highly recommend for anyone who needs a sweet, feel-good escape this summer! 🍹📖☀️

Aaah, a lovely summery read that made me smile and made me laugh out loud. The main characters were awesome, loved how they rubbed along so easily together.. I didn’t put it down and read it in a day!

Get the sunbed and cocktails ready and enjoy!

I'll start off by saying I love bloody cruises! Obsessed. And this book made me wanna find this imaginary cruise ship company and book with them! Karaoke pods yes please!

I read this book quite quickly. It's an easy read that makes you wanna keep reading. I enjoyed the humorous banter between the "fake couple" and this was the main part of most chapters.

I was quite disappointed when we finally got to the kiss and it was all closed doors though! ☹️ But if you like a fun, closed door, banter filled romance then this is for you!

I would have liked more back story on everyone and more feelings though. There was a lot of explaining things happening, eg I key in the phone number for Emma, the wedding planner (or is she the wedding coordinator – I can never remember which one is which). I stare at the number for a second before pressing call, taking a deep breath like I’m about.....

The book had a great premise and good writing and banter but would have been great with a bit more depth to the characters

🚢 ARC Review:

3.75/5 ⭐️

At first I picked this up and then had to put it back down because I genuinely didn’t think I was going to enjoy it (but now I think maybe I just wasn’t in the mood when I first tried to start it).

We start with meeting Jessa and Todd who seem like a happy (read complacent) couple who are at the point they should be settling down. Jessa is happy in her relationship and believes Todd is ready to propose at any point…until he breaks up with her at a wedding.

A few weeks later, Jessa and Todd are set to join their friend group on a destination cruise. As fate would have it, they wind up sharing a space with each other, as well as Todd’s new girlfriend, Nikki, and Nikki’s ex-boyfriend, Brody.

We get forced proximity, fake dating, and one bed. It’s truly done pretty well. There were several parts of this book that had me laughing and I was truly rooting for Brody and Jessa to give their exes what they deserved.

The only thing holding me back from giving this a higher rating was that parts of it felt a little cheesy, like the fact that Nikki was like super-villain evil. And that we really didn’t get to see Brody and Jessa’s relationship develop. It was like they were faking dating and then suddenly it was real when they maybe had like 4 actual conversations together.

Overall, this book was cute and I did enjoy it. Thank you, Portia Macintosh and NetGalley for the ARC! 🫶🏼

This was SO damn good. This was my first book by Portia and it will not be my last! I will be reading

This gave me everything I’ve been missing from romance books lately. Proper British banter!!! I haven’t read a UK setting/characters/author book for the longest time and it gave me all the feels! I actually can’t put it into words…it just felt like home! Such a great cosy, romantic comedy read!

I felt connected to the characters from the first page and loved every moment until the last! The fake dating/revenge plot was done so well and it was the perfect amount of rom and com!

It also had many of my favourite tropes:
• fake dating
• forced proximity
• opposites attract
• one bed
• revenge plot
• ‘enemies’ to lovers (more like acquaintances to lovers but it still delivered)

Enjoyable story of two jilted exes stuck together in forced proximity with the exes who left them. Jessa was caught off guard when Todd suddenly dumps her at a mutual friend’s wedding. Around the same time, Brody gets dumped by Nikki, who leaves him for Todd. It’s messy, and Jessa is a hot mess who Brody helps out a few times post breakup. When all four are stuck in a suite together on a ship for friends wedding, Jessa and Todd figure a fake relationship and shenanigans will make Todd and Nikki regret breaking up with them. This book has some funny scenes and some heartfelt moments between misunderstood Brody and Jessa. It’s a closed door low to no spice story. Check it out.

Thank you, Boldwood Books, for providing this book for review consideration through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Jessa is headed on a week-long cruise to her best friend’s destination wedding in Sicily—but instead of smooth sailing, she finds herself in a shared suite with her ex-boyfriend, Todd… his new girlfriend, Nikki… and Nikki’s ex-boyfriend, Brody. Awkward doesn’t begin to cover it!

When Todd and Nikki assume Jessa and Brody are now a couple, the two decide to play along. What starts as a farcical arrangement soon leads to laugh-out-loud moments, flirty banter, and a surprisingly heartfelt connection.

I thoroughly enjoyed the chemistry between Jessa and Brody, especially their sharp-witted exchanges and the humorous situations they found themselves in. The tie-in with Jessa’s job as a high-end property stager added a fun and creative twist. The wider friend group brought quirky charm and genuine warmth to the story.

As someone who’s read several of Portia MacIntosh’s novels, I have to say—Jessa and Brody might just be my favourite couple yet. This is a light, breezy read with plenty of humour and heart—ideal for your beach bag or a cosy weekend escape.

Thank you to Portia MacIntosh, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the advance review copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A gorgeous 4 star read book from me. What an exciting plot, vivid storytelling and relatable, rich characters. I couldn't put this book down – absolutely loved it

It started out a little slow at first for me but then I couldn't put it down. I liked the character development of Jessa and Brody but almost felt like it was too fast or forced for them to fall in love. And also surprised they really never met each other at a friend's event since they ate each best friends of another close couple. Overall, it was a cute summer romantic story. This was my first one by this author and I will be reading more.

This was a cute and lighthearted romance novel! It is perfect for summertime! I really enjoyed that it came with a lot of laughs as well. This is my first book that I have read by this author and I will be continuing to read her books! I have heard great things about this author, so I had to read this one by her. This book comes with a beautiful cover and a cruise ship setting! It starts off entertaining, it captured my attention right away and throughout the entire book.

It is charming, quirky, cozy and romantic! Although I did enjoy the book, I felt like it could have been longer. I really wanted more character development from the main characters as well. However, I love the tropes that this book comes with, especially the enemies to lovers trope! This is the perfect beachside or poolside read! Overall, I give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars rating! I think fans of Emily Henry and Alex Aster would absolutely enjoy reading this!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Portia MacIntosh and Boldwood Books for this electronic arc of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is expected to be published on July 26, 2025!

This book completely captured me from start to finish. The main characters felt so genuine—flaws, quirks, and all—yet their pretend relationship added such a clever twist. It was refreshing to see characters who were both real and fun in their interactions.

I found myself laughing out loud one moment, then feeling cozy and thoughtful the next. The story balanced humor and heart so well, creating a romcom that felt both light and meaningful.

The seaside setting was beautifully described, adding an extra layer of charm and atmosphere to the story. It made the whole experience feel even more immersive and special. I couldn’t put it down!

When your boyfriend dumps you right before a group cruise/destination wedding and then shows up with a new girlfriend… what’s a girl to do? Drink too much and let everyone assume you’re over him and under her ex of course! Thankfully he’s a wind-up merchant and more than happy to play along -who knew faking it could be so fun?

Love a good location as much as I do? You’ve got Yorkshire wedding venues, a resort style cruise, and the island of Sicily to explore between the covers.

It took me a moment to get into this, it’s very voicey and a bit frazzled English woman BUT after a few pages I found myself really enjoying the conversational tone. That combined with the short chapters makes it a nice snappy read.

The best part about this book? It’s properly FUNNY in a way that a lot of rom-coms lately just aren’t managing. The dialogue is realistic and all the characters have genuine banter. It’s just a lot of fun and I kept finding myself smiling -I laughed out loud at the bed moving scene!

One teeny tiny thing I hated just a smidge… “said” goes unnoticed in a way that “clapped back” does not. I didn’t need to read that multiple times. The writing is generally good otherwise and it’s an easy/fast read (NB good writing makes for easy reading). Tropes wise, I’m not huge on fake dating -it usually feels childish to me- but I was onboard here.

I think the short chapters, humour, and summer vibes make this a great book to pack for your summer holidays!

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

Portia MacIntosh is my go-to for romances that somehow just have the right plot to keep me engrossed and reading to the end.

Sometimes, it really takes chance events that you think ruined your life to actually improve it! I would have love to see more of how Nikki/Todd turned out, but bad karma to wish the negative on them, although as usual, very happy endings make me happy too. No Spoilers! but I really enjoyed the cruise backdrop, which is very different from the usual city/country on land setting of the stories.

Highly Recommended!

I had so much fun reading it that I constantly either smiled or laughed (I have witnesses, ask my boyfriend), so that's a review in and of itself.

It's an easy, summery read, full of humour, charm, puns, and teasing between characters. Perfect for this time of year or when you've just finished something heavy and want to relax, not thinking about anything for once.

The characters could be a little more fleshed out, but honestly? I think it's only so fun and cosy because they're not. That's the charm of it, and it really works.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for letting me read the ARC!

Thank you for the ARC from Boldwood.

Jessa is cruising through life alongside with her boyfriend Todd. When they attend a friends wedding, Todd dumps her in the evening while dancing. Brody also is dumped by his girlfriend Nikki. Little do they both know until the next wedding that Todd and Nikki are together. Jessa is mad so when she and Brody are invited on a cruise to Sicily to another of their friends wedding, they team up and pretend to fake date to get even with Todd and Nikki. While they fake dating they both learn about each other. on the cruise.
This has to be my favourite by Portia, full of humour and fun as always, some of the scenes had me giggling along the way. I loved Jessa and Brody's chemistry as it was quite obvious they were meant to be. A brilliant read and an ending.

🇮🇹
Prima di tutto, un enorme grazie a NetGalley per avermi concesso l’opportunità di leggere questo ARC! Devo ammettere che non avevo mai letto nulla di questa autrice prima d’ora, ma dopo aver divorato questa storia in praticamente un giorno, posso dire con certezza che è stata una scoperta fantastica.

TROPES:
Fake dating
Forced proximity
Only one bed
Revenge pact
Opposites attract
Enemies to lovers

Immaginate la scena: siete a un matrimonio, tutto sembra perfetto, quando improvvisamente il vostro partner vi molla seduta stante. Questo è esattamente quello che succede sia a Jessa che a Brody durante la stessa cerimoniae, come se non bastasse, poco dopo scoprono che i loro rispettivi ex, Todd e Nikki, si sono messi insieme. Il colpo di grazia arriva quando si ritrovano bloccati insieme in una suite su una nave da crociera diretta in Sicilia per il matrimonio della migliore amica di Jessa, dove Brody è il testimone.
La loro soluzione è un piano di vendetta geniale: fingere di essere una coppia innamorata per far rosiccare i loro ex. Ma quello che doveva essere solo una messinscena inizia a diventare tremendamente reale mentre continuano a recitare. La chimica tra due persone che dovrebbero solo fingere esplode in modo inaspettato, trasformando tutto in un viaggio emozionale che vi terrà incollati alle pagine fino alla fine!

Jessa è ottimista, spiritosa, con i piedi per terra, e ha quella capacità tutta particolare di finire nelle situazioni più imbarazzanti che però ti fanno ridere a crepapelle. È una di quelle eroine moderne capaci di fare mille disastri, ma con un cuore d’oro che ti fa tifare per lei dal primo momento. La sua autenticità e la sua capacità di far ridere anche nei momenti più difficili la rendono quel genere di protagonista che mi fa dare una stella in più solo per questo.

E poi c’è Brody, un giocatore di cricket (quanto è originale questo dettaglio?) carismatico e affascinante. Forse mi sarebbe piaciuto entrare di più nella sua testa visto che la storia è narrata solo dal punto di vista di lei, ma quando si rivela per quello che è veramente… beh, capirete perché è impossibile non innamorarsene.

La chimica tra Jessa e Brody è esplosiva. Il loro botta e risposta è perfetto, divertente, e pieno di tensione.
Guardare la loro relazione evolversi e vedere come si trasformano a vicenda è pura magia. Certo, alcuni momenti romantici potrebbero essere più approfonditi e meno affrettati, e la transizione da “non mi piaci” a “mi piaci tantissimo” potrebbe essere un po’ più graduale, ma la loro connessione è innegabile fin dall’inizio.

Portia MacIntosh ha uno stile di scrittura super coinvolgente e l’ambientazione sulla nave da crociera è descritta magnificamente, e ti ritrovi a voler prenotare immediatamente una vacanza! Ripeto, in questo caso mi sarebbe piaciuto un doppio pov, ma è questione di gusti.

Questo libro è una lettura estiva perfetta perché leggera, divertente e scorrevole. Ho adorato i personaggi secondari (a parte Todd e Nikki, che sono universalmente detestabili), e alcune situazioni sono esilaranti.

🇬🇧
First of all, a huge thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC! I have to admit I’d never read anything by this author before, but after devouring this story in practically one day, I can say with certainty that she was an amazing discovery.

TROPES:
• Fake dating
• Forced proximity
• Only one bed
• Revenge pact
• Opposites attract
• Enemies to lovers

Picture this: you’re at a wedding, everything seems perfect, when suddenly your partner dumps you on the spot. This is exactly what happens to both Jessa and Brody during the same ceremony, and as if that wasn’t bad enough, they soon discover that their respective exes, Todd and Nikki, have gotten together. The final blow comes when they find themselves stuck together in a suite on a cruise ship headed to Sicily for Jessa’s best friend’s wedding, where Brody is the best man. Their solution is a brilliant revenge plan: pretend to be a couple madly in love to make their exes jealous. But what was supposed to be just an act starts becoming terrifyingly real as they continue their charade. The chemistry between two people who should just be pretending explodes unexpectedly, turning everything into an emotional journey that will keep you glued to the pages until the very end!

Jessa is optimistic, witty, down-to-earth, and has that special talent for getting into the most embarrassing situations that somehow make you laugh out loud. She’s one of those modern heroines who can create a thousand disasters but has a heart of gold that makes you root for her from the first moment. Her authenticity and ability to make you laugh even in the toughest moments make her the kind of protagonist that earns an extra star just for that.

And then there’s Brody, a cricket player (how original is that detail?) who’s charismatic and charming. I might have liked to get more inside his head since the story is told only from her point of view, but when he reveals who he really is… well, you’ll understand why it’s impossible not to fall for him.

The chemistry between Jessa and Brody is explosive. Their banter is perfect, funny, and full of tension. Watching their relationship evolve and seeing how they transform each other is pure magic. Sure, some romantic moments could be more developed and less rushed, and the transition from “I don’t like you” to “I really like you” could be a bit more gradual, but their connection is undeniable from the start.

Portia MacIntosh has a super engaging writing style and the cruise ship setting is beautifully described—you’ll find yourself wanting to book a vacation immediately! Again, in this case I would have liked dual POV, but that’s a matter of taste.

This book is perfect summer reading because it’s light, fun, and flows beautifully. I loved the secondary characters (except Todd and Nikki, who are universally detestable), and some situations are hilarious.

This was a cute, quick read! I loved that pretty much the entire story took place on a cruise ship. The drama between Jessa and Nikki was kind of funny actually, which I enjoyed. Nikki was crazy which made the book better cause some of the things she said/did was whack. I also enjoyed the banter between Jessa and Brody.

One thing I was disappointed about was that it really wasn't enemies to lovers and that was one thing I was really looking forward to.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.