I loved this book by Portia Macintosh. She never disappoints and her books are packed full of fun, issues which arise and are resolves and romance. This book was laugh out loud funny in places and lived up to the standard set by Portia in previous books. Definitely one for my holiday library.

Not for me whatsoever unfortunately. I’m not sure how an adult romance book can’t have any sexual tension or romance whatsoever? The plot idea was so good in principle and has been done well before by minimal spice authors (hello Funny Story by Emily Henry). I won’t be reading others by this author. Sorry but thanks netgalley

This was fun. I'm a sucker for fake dating and this was just chaotic enough to keep me reading past my bedtime. The forced proximity worked well and actually seemed semi believable in the context of the story, unlike other books that just seem to add it whether it makes sense or not. I've enjoyed every book by Portia MacIntosh I've read, this was no different.

Lighthearted rom com with all the basic storylines - fake dating, forced room sharing…but this one had a few twists on basic. Fun read with great characters (Nikki was so easy to dislike) and several wedding disasters that were hilarious.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

💙 Going Overboard by Portia MacIntosh ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was the first book I’ve read by the author and I absolutely loved it! How have I not discovered such a great romcom writer until now? The book tells a story of heartbreak, suspicion, revenge and unexpected love with a tone that’s both emotional and funny. Some parts move a bit quickly, so you can find yourself swept up in the emotions. While the characters don’t have a ton of depth, the story keeps your attention the whole way through. It’s an easy-to-read, fun book filled with romantic tropes that don’t feel overused - in fact, they’ll make you laugh and think at the same time. I wouldn’t have minded if it were a little longer, but even as it is, it’s the perfect book to enjoy with a cocktail while sunbathing!!! 🍹📖

If you enjoy: holiday romance and romantic comedy, fake dating and revenge pact, forced proximity and only one bed, enemies to lovers, love the style of Emily Henry, Alex Aster and B.K. Borison; then this one is definitely for you!

This is an ARC review. I appreciate receiving this copy from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

Haven't read a Portia MacIntosh book for a while and this one has been great. An interesting plot with a cruise ship and wedding too. Loved it.

My first by Portia Macintosh and won’t be my last that’s for sure. Her writing is easy to read and flows well. I loved the story and the banter.

What a fun read! This book is perfect for a relaxing summer day by the beach. I thoroughly enjoyed both Jessa and Brody. They're very likeable both individually and obviously together. Their relationship is so natural, even though it started unnaturally by fake dating but nonetheless, they're great! 😂😂

If you're looking for a cute, fun, summer read. I'd give this one a try!

Going Overboard: ★★★☆☆ (3)

Pub date: out now!!

Tropes:
- forced proximity
- destination wedding
- fake dating

Thank you Boldwood Book & netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I adored Brody and Jessa. This beach read romance is full of humor and sweetness. It also has a couple characters you will love to hate. The premise of this one was even better than I expected. And the ending was perfect.

I love a destination wedding and this one did not disappoint!

Jessa and Todd have just broken up.

So the last thing Jessa wants to do is share a cabin on a cruise ship with Todd and his new girlfriend!

But it's fine, Todd's girlfriend Nikki's ex is also staying in this cabin, and he's a hunky cricket player with a great sense of humour.

Forced proximity, flirty banter and hilarious antics ensue! And so good to see some of the characters from the other books make an appearance!

A great summer read!

This was the most perfect read for a lazy, summer afternoon. The story was fun and engaging. The cruise ship setting was fantastic and honestly made me long to go on a cruise.

Both Jessa and Brody were truly likeable characters and oozed natural chemistry. I loved how they became friends first without any awkwardness and just went along with the flow - they weren't hellbent on seeking revenge on their exes. The writing was heartfelt as well as witty and I honestly couldn't put it down.

I think this was a nice romance for the summertime, but it lacked something. I found it a little bit boring at times, even if Jessica and Brody were good characters. I will definitely reread this in the future because I feel like it’s that book that can grow on me. I really enjoyed the fake dating aspect. Didn’t really connect with the side characters either.

All Jessa wants is a comfortable relationship. When her boyfriend dumps her at a wedding, she is a rock bottom. Her ex-boyfriend shows up to next wedding with a new girlfriend, Jessa convinces Ryan to be in a fake-relationship in order to make their exes jealous.
This book started out very fun but it got a little too insane for my liking. I did not connect with the characters and they all felt very superficial.

I want to like this so much. Jessa seems like a good person, in a decent relationship - not earth shattering kinda love, but comfortable/stable kinda love with Todd. Todd to be honest, is a bit self-center and Jessa puts up with it, thinking who can ask for more... apparently you can.

At one of the wedding circuit, as 20s/30s something do. Jessa was dumped on the dance floor. The next wedding deft Todd came in with a hot girl on his arm. Luckily, time and again, she was rescue by the best man Brody. Curious they never crossed paths, apparently they have, just that they were so dedicated to their respective partners that didn't have a wandering eye - unlike Todd and Brody's ex Nikki.

One thing led to another, Brody who also got dump and Jessa got put to situations time and again. Eventually, all the pretend feels real, very real.

Here's my thing: Jessa was all vulnerable and she lets Brody sees it. He loves her, all of her, but we never found out his side. We see he's not a fame-grabber f-boy, but a good-hearted guy, but what was his vulnerability with Jessa, and their love? You feel their love, the author portrayed that well, and their heat, but what was the emotional connection?

Thank you to NetGalley & Boldwood Books for the ARC

Fun, flirty and the perfect summer escape

Going Overboard is a lighthearted and thoroughly entertaining forced proximity romance that had me smiling from start to finish. Portia MacIntosh delivers her signature charm, witty dialogue and a cast of quirky, lovable characters that make this story a real feel-good read.

The chemistry between the main characters is playful and fun, with plenty of banter and just the right amount of slow-burning tension. The cruise ship setting adds a unique and summery touch, making it easy to get swept away in the story.

While the plot is more on the light and comedic side, there are some lovely emotional moments sprinkled throughout that give the story a bit more depth. A few scenes were a little predictable, but honestly, that’s part of the charm with this kind of cozy, romantic comedy.

Verdict: A delightful rom-com full of sunshine, sass and sweet moments. Perfect for readers who love forced proximity, laugh-out-loud moments and a romance that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

This was a book that I enjoyed reading. It had an amazing plot, and the storyline had me hooked, and I loved how it developed towards its conclusion. The characters were perfect, and i enjoyed reading their journey. Portia has an amazing ability to write books that are amazing and just hook readers in, with amazing characters and sensational plots.

Thanks @netgalley @portiamacintoshauthor and @theboldbookclub for the ARC.

This was a fun, easy reading, chick-lit book about a couple of jilted lovers, who, to get back at their exes (who are together), pretend to be in love, in order to get through the wedding of their respective best friends. There wasn't any spice to it but it was a cute read, but it could've had a bit more to the story.
It was a good palate cleanser to read though.
Great holiday read.

Another great book from Portia MacIntosh! I love her characters and the backdrop of different vacation scenes. This was a fun read and made me feel like I was on vacation by reading it. The only downside I will say about it was that I had trouble finishing the last bit of the book. I flew through the book up until then, but at a certain point (no spoilers of course), I felt like the tension wasn’t in the plot anymore, and I didn’t see what else would add to the book by continuing the story. Whether it was shortened a little at the end or met with higher stakes to continue the plot, I would have been interested to see a little different approach to the ending. All of that to say, I still very much enjoyed reading this, I would recommend it to others, and I am excited to read future books by Portia MacIntosh!

Thank you, @boldwoodbooks, @netgalley, and Portia Macintosh the gifted ARC!

Rundown:
✨️fake dating
✨️one bed
✨️exes dating each other
✨️cruise to a wedding
✨️forced proximity
✨️cricket player
✨️closed door
✨️enemies to lovers

Synopsis ✒️
Jessa thought her life was in order until her boyfriend, Todd, dumped her. A few weeks later, she showed up to the cruise they booked together, ready to sail to her best friend's destination wedding. But, there was a mix-up. In a two room suite are Jessa, Todd, Todd's new girlfriend Nikki, and Nikki's ex Brody. Since Todd and Nikki are already dating, Jessa and Brody hatch a plan to fake date to get revenge.

Thoughts 💭
Overall, this is a cute, sweet summer read. There wasn't a lot of spice, but I did enjoy seeing Jessa and Brody slowly get to know each other and realize they were pretty perfect together. I would've loved to have more time with them and their thoughts and less time with the complicated plot of who knows who and how or Nikki acting like a five year old. I think developing the characters a little more would've easily made my rating jump up a star. Having the setting mostly on a cruise ship was fun and entertaining, although a little unrealistic. I am still left with a few questions that weren't ever really answered. Overall, I did enjoy this one, I just wanted a little bit more from it.

The Book:

It's wedding season and Jessa's boyfriend Todd breaks up with her at a wedding. Just great. She has another wedding coming up - her best friend's destination wedding where they will board a cruise ship to take them to Sicily for the wedding. But it's. It's totally fine. Jessa will contact the wedding planner (or coordinator - she can never keep them straight) and make sure she is no longer sharing a room with Todd on the cruise ship.
To her horror, the planner (or coordinator) has put Jessa in a two-bedroom suite. To be shared with her ex, Todd, his new girlfriend, Nikki, and Nikki's recent ex, Brody.

Clearly, in this situation, the only option is for Jessa & Brody to go along with sharing a room together in a suite with Todd & Nikki and pretend like they've both moved on from their breakups and are a hot new couple.

My Thoughts:
Oh, I really liked this. It was so so funny right from the start. Just a really fun, entertaining rom-com. The cruise ship lent itself well to mishaps and Jessa's group of friends was made of a great mix of characters.