this was my first portia macintosh read, and it definitely won't be my last!

the story follows jessa, who gets dumped by her boyfriend todd at a friend's wedding - only to find herself on a pre-wedding trip where todd shows up with his new girlfriend nikki. as if that isn't awkward enough, nikki's ex, brody, is also there… and the four of them end up sharing a suite. jessa and brody decide to make the best of it by pretending to be a couple, setting the stage for a perfect summer rom-com.

the cruise ship setting was sooo fun - full of forced proximity, cheeky banter, and hilarious situations. i loved the friendship group dynamics and how the some of the strained relationships played into the drama, all while keeping jessa and brody's relationship free of unnecessary conflict.

jessa was a relatable character - funny, warm and kinda clumsy, and brody was such a sweetheart <3 their chemistry sparkled from their very first meeting, and i loved watching their friendship naturally grow into something more.

with the mix of fake dating, wedding vibes, and cruise adventures, this book was an absolute delight. a sweet, lighthearted romance that's perfect for a summer vacation read. highly recommend!


*thanks to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and Portia Macintosh for providing me with an ARC of this book!*

This is the first book for me with Portia Macintosh. This story was a quick and easy read. Jessa is blindsided when her boyfriend Todd dumps her at a wedding, only for him to reappear two weeks later with a new girlfriend, Nikki—who also recently broke up with her boyfriend, Brody, at the same wedding. Suspicious of the overlap, Jessa and Brody end up stuck sharing a cruise ship cabin with Todd and Nikki while en route to her best friend’s wedding. I really liked the cruise setting, you don't see too many of those. Jessa and Brody fake a relationship to get back at their exes en route to her best friend’s wedding. But as the charade continues, their chemistry becomes harder to ignore. The cruise setting is lively and fun, with plenty of entertaining activities and humorous mishaps, especially with the fake dating and one-bed tropes. The friend group (minus Todd and Nikki) adds charm, and the banter delivers lighthearted moments. Still, it’s a quick, fun read for fans of light rom-coms.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Just the perfect rom com for a summer night.

Jessa is planning her future with Todd, the love of her life. Until, unexpectedly he dumps her at one of the best friends wedding. Completely blind sided, Jessa takes a tumble into a fountain, to be rescued by the bad boy of cricket Brody Ryan. Another group member who has just been dumped by his girlfriend. When the 2 exes decide to date, Jessa and Brody come up with a plan to prove they are not bothered, by fake dating!

What ensues is a fake relationship blossoming under the watchful eye of the group, but will it stay fake for long?

I really enjoyed this book, the writing was well paced and easy to follow and you can't help but fall in love with Jessa and Brody and route for them. A perfect summer read.

I absolutely loved this book. I found Jessa such a relatable character, from her personality to her clumsiness and Brody was an absolute sweetheart. The cruise was a really fun setting change and was hilarious within it. I also loved the dynamics of the friendship group and how the strained relationships affected the characters.

I had a perma smile reading this. It was so much fun! I loved the premise. It kind of reminded me of Funny Story - my fave EH book. Love when jilted lovers get together to get revenge on their exes.

The cruise setting made for some forced proximity, which led to lots of drama and hilarious moments. Also, books set around weddings always feel super summery. I love it.

Brody and Jessa had so many cheeky lines, I loved how they worked together and developed a friendship and feelings for each other. Their banter and teasing were fun.

I adored Brody, cocky but not arrogant, cheeky, and level-headed. Never thought I'd read about a cricket player MMC, but here we are (I thought cricket players were all athelic thin, but Brody was buff - lovely).

Although there was A LOT of drama with the exes, Brody and Jessa never had drama with each other and got along quite well. I love that there wasn't a 3rd act breakup.

Perfect vacation read!

Portia MacIntosh has done it again with another lighthearted, witty rom-com that’s impossible to put down!!
Going Overboard is packed with laugh-out-loud moments, sharp banter, and just the right amount of romance to keep you grinning the whole way through!
The cruise setting makes it a perfect escapist read, and the chemistry between the characters feels effortless. Fun, fresh, and delightfully chaotic! I would say it’s ideal for anyone in need of a feel-good, sunshine-soaked story this summer!

Another fun romance from Portia MacIntosh! I love stories that make me laugh through banter and sticky situations but also show me a more vulnerable side of the characters. Add in the twist on forced proximity and the spite fake dating and I know I’m in for a good time. Great read for vacation or whenever you need a laugh.

I was lucky enough to get an ARC from Netgalley. This book was so fun from the first page! I wasn’t expecting it to be base on characters from the UK so it was so fun to see words that I’m not used to hearing and playing chess to delightfully figure out what it’s referring to. It added a fun layer to this book for me! This book was such a fun rollercoaster! I really enjoyed all the characters and already wish I had a sequel!

Fantastic story, loved it. Loved all the characters within this story. I think I’ve found another auto-buy author

When Jessa gets dumped by her boyfriend Todd at a friend’s wedding, she has no idea how it will change things.

When it’s a friend’s trip before the wedding and Jessa’s ex Todd is there with his new girlfriend Nikki and the new girlfriend’s ex Brody.

The four of them end up having a suite together so Jessa and Brody make the best of the situation and pretend that they are a couple.

As Jessa and Brody get closer to each other, will
finding out that Jessa had a small part in his breakup with his ex change things or will they continue to have blossoming relationship ?

Firstly, thanks to Boldeoodlebooks and Portia for this ARC with an exchange of my honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Level: 0/5

I actually loved this book so much more than I originally thought! I thought it would be a bit dull and slow but oh my god did it change my mind so quickly!

The chemistry between Brody and Jessa was amazing. It's nothing something you can miss. Even early in the book when they first met, you just feel their chemistry and the connection they have with each other. I loved it

Brody is such loving man and I am so happy Jessa ended up with him. It actually hurts my heart with what Nikki done to him because he's such a big teddy bear.

✔️ fake dating
✔️ one bed
✔️ forced proximity

🏏🛳️💒🇮🇹🪩

A lovely little read! Portia's books are always light-hearted and fun, and this is one of her better predictable-yet-delightful plots. There was a lot more happiness and humor than some of the other books in this genre, and this plot did not have my dreaded misunderstanding-of-doom trope, so I was a happy camper all around. A truly FUN book.

It was a sweet, lighthearted romance story—perfect for summer! I loved the setting, and the story itself was wonderfully written with several humorous moments. The characters were endearing, and I liked them very much. I really liked the chemistry between Jessa and Brody and enjoyed reading their story. Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and author Portia MacIntosh for this ARC.

Who doesn't love a Portia Macintosh packed in their suitcase for their summer holiday??!!!
Going Overboard does not disappoint with great characters and humorous scenarios... it's a great, light hearted read.

Jessa is due to go on a cruise as part of her best friend's wedding plans but her boyfriend ditches her weeks before the trip.
Unfortunately he is a friend of the groom so he is also on the cruise........with his new girlfriend!

Jessa is dreading sharing a ship......even a big ship....with her ex.
However a serious of events takes her to bad boy Brody....and together they hatch a plan for revenge.
But what will the repercussions be????

Absolutely hilarious...with a big dollop of romance.

A definite pool side read!!

Light hearted, fun, and a great setting! Love the cruise ship setting and vibes. I always like a fake dating storyline, and this one did a good job of it.

Jessa meets Brody at a wedding, the same wedding where she gets dumped. With an upcoming cruise and wedding, the agree to fake date, but what happens when it starts to feel real? A great read.

This was a funny and charming romp. Jessa is expecting a proposal and is dumped instead but has to keep seeing her ex at their friend's weddings. Brody was also dumped and their exs are suddenly dating each other so Jessa & Brody decide to fake date to show everyone they're fine. They are all stuck together on a weeklong cruise to Sicily and have to share a cabin. Their are some funny and sweet moments mixed in and this is a closed door romance with a minimum of spice.

Even if you’re stuck at home this summer, Going Overboard will make you feel like you’re on a luxurious getaway as it takes you out to sea for a fun- and mishap-filled (not-so-)fake romance. Readers will fall in love with the characters and get caught up in their wedding-week adventures.

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery.

*Thank you to Netgalley and to Boldwood Books for providing me with an ARC.*

This was a fun, fast paced beach read. I was super excited for this book as I haven't read many cruise ship books. MacIntosh didn't disappoint with the setting and I could almost feel I was there.

I don't usually go for the 1st person POV, but I gave this a try. I really feel it was missing the dual POV which would have gave the reader so much more about Brody. I did enjoy the pacing of the book and the fake dating trope. Overall I would give this 3 stars but it was an enjoyable read!

As always Portia's books do not disappoint. Such a cute story that had me smiling and laughing throughout.

Another brilliant read from Portia who just has me giggling with every read.

This was a slower start that picked up pace quite quickly and one I loved just as much as the others. The ending was perfect and the wedding cruise was a brilliant idea.

I love Portias books and if youve never read one, you need to, you are missing out.