Pop stars, a cruise, and a dash of murder? I was all in! This one had a strong start and a fun setup, but I wish Poppy and Isaiah’s romance had been more developed. Still, it was a fast-paced and easy read that kept me entertained.
Big thanks to NetGalley and Kate Callaghan for the ARC!

Poppy Rae is a pop star with a secret and an annoying habit of having those around her show up dead. Isaiah Rivers is a detective who finds her habit extremely suspicious. Together, they solve crimes. Kidding, but not really.

The Situation Ship, as a mystery novel, enthralled me. I was constantly wondering where the story would go and trying my best to keep track of all of the relevant pieces of evidence and plot points. I have to confess that I did not successfully find out the identity of the killer, and while that was due to my lack of attention or lack of clues is something I am not certain about.

As a romance novel, however, I felt it very lacking. Body Guard X Client or Detective X Suspect are not innovative tropes, so started this book expecting it to have an, albeit somewhat cliché, pleasing love story. I didn't see any chemistry between our two leads except for a passing comment of finding the other attractive, and there was no angst or burn. In my opinion, they got together too quickly, and I wished their differences and the impropriety of their situation was explored more in-depth. Their relationship became very intense, but I kept having to remind myself that it had only been a few weeks.

Finally, I have conflicting feelings about the writing. While the author did a very good job of portraying what Poppy's childhood was like and some of the negative parts of being a celebrity, I felt the dialogue contained a lot of exposition. Characters would often explicitly state something that we had seen described in the text, and oftentimes it felt like readers were not trusted to sufficiently understand what was happening.

Throughout this book, for better or for worse, I felt as if I was along for the ride in the Midas. Despite some of my criticisms, I did not feel as if I had to force myself to read it. It felt slightly chaotic, but sometimes the chaos is appreciated.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kate Callaghan for the advanced copy. This review is left voluntarily and honestly.

The situation ship is the perfect summer murder romance! It had a great plot and good character building. Just enough spice but if you want to skip it the chapters are given to you at the beginning.

A really enjoyable read!!!

A pop star's life is turned upside down when her aunt (a major Hollywood actress) dies.

To relax and escape the spotlight, she decides to go on a super exclusive cruise. With a new bodyguard who seems to believe she's involved in three other deaths, she finds herself trapped in a sea of other deaths on the same cruise.

Now they have to work together to catch the killer and prevent more deaths.

Even with a very heavy theme (murder), the author managed to make this a lighthearted read. I really loved the character development, especially Poppy. The more we read, the more we discover new layers to her.

Honestly? I didn't feel like the sex scenes fit into the overall context of the book. I didn't think the sex scene made much sense when it happened, and I also didn't really like how it was written.

Poppy discovering who the killer was was amazing!!! I already had my suspicions about who it was, but when it was finally revealed, I was in shock along with her, hahaha.

Overall, it was a very good read! I'm curious to read other books by the author (especially the one about Phoebe and Axel).

Thank you NetGalley, Independent Book Publishers Association, Members' Titles and Kate Callaghan for an eARC in exchange of an honest review.

The Situation Ship follows Poppy, a famous popstar, and Isaiah, an opinionated detective in a dual POV whodunit mystery on the seas. When Isaiah takes a job as Poppy's bodyguard aboard an exclusive cruise on the Midas to get close to her he soon finds out things aren't always how they seem.

The cruise setting had potential for a very unique forced proximity story, unfortunately many aspects fell short and were underdeveloped. The story relied too much on the simple fact that the crew of the ship would brush anything and everything under the rug to maintain a paradise image.

The dialogue came across quite verbose at times; ranging from amusing to just redundant. While the book was dual narrative I feel like we learned more about each character while in the opposite POV. The book did a lot more of telling than showing who the characters were.

I appreciated the killer reveal even if it was easily predictable to an extent; reveal moments did feel rushed at certain points but for the most part everything flowed nicely until the end. There were a few unresolved storylines and unsatisfying excuses for misunderstandings and motivations among various suspects throughout the story.

In all, The Situation Ship was a lighthearted, fun take on a whodunit story. It offers enough mystery and suspense to keep readers hooked, while simultaneously offering a slow burn romance.

I really, really wanted to love this one, because I love mystery, romance, and books set on cruises! Unfortunately, this read like a first draft. There was a great story in here somewhere, but it didn't come through. The writing was confusing and kept contradicting itself. Another round of developmental and copy editing would do this book wonders.

Unfortunately, I did DNF. I'm going to give it 3 stars since it might have gotten better later on.

I've enjoyed Kate Callaghan's books in the past, and was excited to see her newest book, "The Situation Ship." In this book, Poppy Roe is a pop star who finds herself trapped under everyone's demands for her life. When she finally escapes (due to her own machinations), she finds herself on a cruise ship trying to escape a stalker. Isaiah Rivers is a detective who's been sleuthing all the deaths that have been occurring around Poppy, but he finds himself drawn to the pop star instead. While the two of them put their heads together to determine what's going on, they can't ignore the sparks flying between them any longer.

I really wanted to like this book, but I didn't find Poppy likable, and I didn't like that Isaiah was willing to overlook all her bad actions. I look forward to Callaghan's next book instead. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Since the tragic death of her mother, Poppy has lived under the strict and watchful eye of her aunt. But when her aunt suffers a fatal fall, Poppy is suddenly—and suspiciously—free. Seizing the moment, she books herself on an elite luxury cruise, hoping for a fresh start. Accompanied by a personal assistant and a sharply observant bodyguard named Isiah, who’s supposedly on a vacation from the police force, Poppy is ready to embrace the high seas.

However, the cruise quickly takes a sinister turn. A string of unsettling murders rocks the ship, and Isiah’s presence proves to be no coincidence. He’s not just there to protect—he suspects. With Poppy’s past littered with conveniently timed deaths, Isiah is determined to uncover the truth behind the charming woman with far too many secrets.
Opinion
This book was an absolute thrill ride. From the very first page, the pace never let up—there was always a twist, a secret, or a sharp exchange to keep me fully hooked. The banter between characters was witty and perfectly timed, adding levity to the darker moments, and the murder-mystery plot was full of clever turns.
It’s the ideal vacation read: light enough to breeze through, but packed with suspense and charm to keep you coming back for more. I couldn’t put it down!
Many thanks to Net Galley and Kate Callaghan for providing me with an ARC of this book.

This book was a delight! While the mystery wasn't the most complex I've ever read, I still really enjoyed following the two leads as they try to navigate life on the cruise. I'm looking forward to more from this author!

OMG this was just pure FUN!

I found that I was smiling while reading this and totally fell in love with our main characters and the tropes were *chef's kiss* spot on for a fun, flirty summer romance read by the beach!

3.75⭐️

To describe this book in one word would be simply - fun.

It was quite an interesting concept and I was excited to read something that combines two of my favourite genres. Firstly the protagonist is a really interesting character I enjoyed getting snippets of her background and it helped me to like her and care about her.

One of my favourite things about this book is that it kept me on my toes with twists and turns, I didn’t guess the ending and I really like that - there’s nothing worse than a predictable mystery book. The twists weren’t just isolated to the protagonist, there were little unexpected ones elsewhere too!

The main downfall for me was the romance side of it, I’m not a huge fan of insta-love and this just felt a little baseless to me. In a similar way the friendship with Mina also felt very instant and I would have liked to have had more grounds and see the development.

That said it was an enjoyable and fast paced read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, so this had so much potential — pop star in danger, murder on a cruise, broody detective with a past?? I was hooked from the blurb and reviews alone. And to be fair, the setup was super strong. The whole “shared cabin, cruise with a killer on board, forced proximity” thing between Poppy and Isaiah gave exactly what it was supposed to.

So a bit of an overview about our protagonists in this book: “Princess of pop” Poppy Roe was adopted by her famous aunt and pushed into the spotlight from a young age. After witnessing her aunt’s death, she decides to take a cruise to escape it all. Enter Isaiah Rivers — a renowned detective originally sent to investigate Poppy and uncover the truth about her connection to several suspicious deaths, and decides to take a bodyguard job to get closer to his lead suspect. But somewhere along the way, Isaiah abandons his original mission and becomes more of a partner than an investigator, emotionally entangled before he even realizes it.

But… somewhere along the way, it lost me a little. 😅 Don’t get me wrong — the beginning was excellent, and I read 40% of the book in one sitting. The romance felt kinda rushed. I physically had to stop reading and ask myself how they went from not trusting each other to being head over heels? That said, the murder mystery and how it all played out was quite good, and I really liked how that part wrapped up.

I loved the idea of a luxury cruise turning into a trap. The setting was really cool and claustrophobic in the best way. And I appreciate that it didn’t shy away from heavier themes, and I really enjoyed the ending tbf.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author Kate Callaghan for the opportunity to read this book, The Situation Ship is set to release on July 27, 2025!

Thank you to NetGalley & Kate Callaghan for an ARC of The Situationship!

I was so excited to read this book from reading the description - mystery & romance? Sign me up! And, man, did it start off with a bang! I was instantly pulled in by all the suspense around Poppy’s past. I really liked that you don’t know who to trust right off the bat.

What I Liked (spoiler free):
1. Fast-paced and easy to read (would be a great beach read)
2. Some interesting twists & turns that I didn’t predict
3. The character dynamic of a celebrity on the run and detective was super fun and kept me entertained

What Could Have Been Better:
1. Would have liked more relationship building between Poppy and Isaiah - we go from him being highly suspicious of her (and seeming to dislike her status) to insta-love within a few days

Overall Rating: 3.5 - would recommend for a quick & easy summer read

10/10 a very quick romcom with some thriller aspects I enjoyed this so much and was thankful to get it early

I was promised a romance book and I found a murder mystery book, I was very confused, but as it is a short novel I didn't give it much importance and I immersed myself in the book.

I didn't connect with the characters, as they seemed flat to me, I didn't connect with the story as I had other expectations (the romance is almost non-existent), and it tasted very bad to me, but that's the truth.

The resolution of the plot was very bare-bones, very forced and very weird.

If this book had been sold to me for what it really is, my rating would probably be higher.

Still, I enjoyed the read as it was short <3

This was a fun mystery/romance novel that I was not expecting to enjoy as much as I did. Granted, there were quite a few chapters with spice in them (and we all know how I feel about that), but thankfully, the author included what those chapters were at the beginning, so I knew what to expect. ☺

The banter and chemistry between Isaiah and Poppy was cute, even though I think they fell for each other rather too quickly. Is it insta-love? Yeah, probably, but it didn’t feel rushed or ridiculous. The situation they were in and them being so transparent and vulnerable with each other did add depth to their relationship, so I didn’t mind them falling for each other in such a short span of time.

The mystery itself was pretty interesting, especially how Poppy was linked to the murders happening all around her. I’m kind of ashamed to say that I didn’t really know who the killer was, but I wasn’t surprised when they revealed themselves towards the end. 😅 But what I enjoyed most was the friendships and life lessons Poppy and Isaiah received during their time on the ship. If you know me, then you know that depth is what makes or breaks a story, whether it be a movie or a book. So, if your characters and plot have meaning that actually makes sense, then congratulations, you’ve got yourself a winner. 🥇

But the best part of the book was that the characters were Irish! I honestly freaked out when I read that, and it just made this all the more fun to read. 🇮🇪❤ (Is it possible to love a place you’ve never been to? ☺💗)

Now, do I recommend this book? Yes, I do, if you like mysteries and a whole lot of fun tropes scattered here and there in the book. As I said before, there is spice and also swearing, so if you don’t like those things in your books, then this is your heads-up. ☺

I do think this could be a light, easy beach read for the summer, I just didn't like how the writing had no depth to it. It came across as very 'tell' instead of 'show' with the dialogue also feeling very simple and superficial. The main character Poppy had an interesting background but I felt like it was wasted as she still felt very shallow and lacked complexity. It was as if the traumatic background was given to her in order to check off an item on a writing to do list rather than being integral to her character.

Thank you Netgalley and Kate Callaghan for the ARC of The Situation ship!

I thoroughly enjoyed this mashup of genres! Murder mystery with a side of romance? What more could you want? This book is also dual point of view and I loved getting in Poppy and Isaiah’s heads! Isaiah is an undercover cop that poses as Poppy’s bodyguard on a cruise because he suspects her of murder. Lots of bodies drop in this one so be prepared!

What worked for me:
The situationship is fast paced and reads quickly. I was only able to predict a portion of the ending but there was a piece that was definitely a shock! Two of my favorite genres came together to make for a very fun read!

What didn’t work for me:
The relationship developed extremely quickly. We have Isiah that goes from suspecting Poppy of murder to willing to do anything for her with in one week. The insta love made the connection between them a little less believable.

Overall I gave the Situationship 3.5 stars and would definitely recommend to a friend interested in these genres!

3.25 stars.

This was pretty engaging from the start. The rapid bodies dropping and all that suspense surrounding Poppy's past kept me hooked (I hate those people and I love Poppy for what she did). But then somewhere around halfway through the book, things starting getting kinda predictable and boring. It felt a little dragged on unnecessarily. Tho the final twist was shocking. Overall it was a nice read.

Solid 3.5 stars from me.Put some romance,mystery,dropping dead bodies and you have The Situation Ship.We meet Poppy Roe the pop star and Isaiah Rivers the detective,and it's from both POV,so we know they really dont't trust each other.Isaiah suspect Poppy have something to do with death of people working for her in the past,Poppy suspect he want something more from her then being her bodyguard.After the first death mutual distrust changing to trust,some past situations find understanding between them, and of course there is attraction.
I like Poppy and Isaiah together,you can say that they bond by the things they should not do in the past,and they don't regret it.It was interesting to see how this relationship progress.The mystery also was good,it keept me turning pages,in about 70% I start suspect few people,but I was still suprised about some things in the end.
I think this is a great summer read with some spicy romance and mystery.
Maybe in the future there will be book about secondary characters Mina and Eckells?Would love to read about them.
Also read the warning in description.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC of this book!