4.5 stars, BUT IT MADE ME CRY 3 TIMES, SO IN MY HEARTS, it's a 5.

TW: death of loved ones, grieving, parental abandonment and guilt.

I cried at the beginning, middle and end of this book, but folks, I loved every second of it. The pain we feel through Jo's and Beth, Mia and Kitty's eyes show how differently grieving and coping are. And the main thing I take from this story is that you must feel the pain to see how you can live through it and experience happiness again.
I loved how this book was a romance, but mostly self-love and family love. This book shows the romance between Jo and Alex, which was slow and healthy and so relatable and sweet, and even though the ending was bittersweet, I wouldn't want it any other way. Alex was also going through things as a single dad doing right for his daughter, and the fact that he still put his daughter first and Jo put herself first showed how amazing their love for each other was; it was exactly what they needed and wanted.

The only thing I wish could have been better was the list story element; I feel like it was;t used to the full extent that I wanted, but if the other stories of grieving, life and family would have suffered, I don't mind!
Folks, PICK UP THIS DEBUT BOOK!

4.5 Stars

Jo Walker, a stewardess on a luxury yacht, is turning 30 this summer. She has a successful blog telling the story of her 30 before 30 bucket list, but after tragedy struck her family at the beginning of charter season, she hasn’t been making a much progress on her list or found the energy to write the upbeat and positive posts her blog followers are expecting. As charter season ends and summer begins, Jo is ready to tackle the last eight items on her list, including kissing a stranger, running a marathon and visiting the last of 10 new countries. Unexpectedly, her nieces turn up to spend the summer with her at her condo in Florida, forcing Jo to rearrange her summer plans and expectations for finishing her blog. Also unexpectedly, the stranger she kissed? Her new neighbor, dad to her nieces’ new best friend, and new chef on the yacht for the summer. Both Jo and Alex swear they have sworn off dating; Jo wants to focus finishing out her list, distracting her nieces from their grief and avoiding any additional emotional attachments. But as Jo and Alex grow closer and the end of the summer looms, Jo begins to learn that keeping distance doesn’t always mean keeping hurt away.

This book was absolutely amazing. It deals with some incredibly heavy topics; all of the main characters in this story have suffered an intense loss of some kind, but Sarah manages to balance these intense emotions with hilarious and accessible writing and banter the reader can find themselves getting lost in. I found myself laughing and crying in alternating chapters. The relationships in Jo’s family are strained by grief but are also incredibly strong and close- anyone who has a close relationship with a sibling and/or niece/nephew is going to find something to relate to in this one.

I loved watching Jo and Alex grow closer and found myself caught up in their tension and Jo’s uncertainty of Alex’s feelings for her. I don’t make it any secret that I prefer some steam and heat in my books, but when an author creates such incredible emotional intimacy and connection between characters, like she did between Alex and Jo, I find that I don’t even miss it even a little bit.

This book might hard for anyone who has recently suffered the loss of a loved one, but when you feel ready to read about these topics, Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships will take good care of you and guide you safely through the journey. Tackling various forms of grief from the perspective of Jo, her nieces and even her sister, this story really gives a multi-dimensional view of a family trying to find a way to carry on. Yes, the romance is there, and it’s great, but at the end of the day, what I’ll remember about this is the way that the characters, related by blood and by friendship, were able to count on and lean on each other. I will recommend it to everyone and anyone for a long, long time.

I absolutely fell.in.LOVEwith Jo and Alex and Greyson and Kitty and Mia and Samson and Beth and Ollie and Nina (I can't WAIT for their story).

Warning- this is NOT a light, fluffy love story. It deals with loss and grief and guilt and does so in such a lovely way. As a mother of five girls- the two oldest 13 and 15- I cannot tell you how much Grunder Ruiz got it right. The banter, the anger, the sass, the sense of humor...she nailed it. Mia and Kitty reminded me so so much of my Harper and Sadie in so many ways.

Her delicate exploration and descriptions of grief and the pain and shame and guilt that can survive it made my heart ache at times.

My only (semi) qualm, which doesn't take away from my 5 star review, is that I wish I "knew" Jo a little bit more. I love her with Nina, I love her with Alex, I love her with her nieces and her nephew and as a sister and I love the little bit of insight that we got into her heart and her soul, but I'd love to know her even better.


That said, the romance was so sweet. Alex is such a great lead. He's funny and witty and tender and encouraging and patient and an excellent dad. All around swoon. I really loved learning about the yacht life, too. It made me want more more MORE- so good thing a second book is coming!


Thank you to Berkley Romance for a free copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

This book definitely made me cry - I should have paid more careful attention to the description on NetGalley, but I think this is one that I learned about from a direct email. I didn't realize that the main character would be dealing with the loss of her pre-teen nephew, but that loss is really the heart of this story. Jo Walker is a stewardess on a yacht and spends part of the year out at sea and the rest either on vacation or working day parties on the yacht. After a bad breakup, she and her best friend come up with a list of 30 things for Jo to do before her 30th birthday - a way to make up for some of the lost time. In the midst of this, and in the midst of her yacht season, Jo learns that her young nephew has died tragically and she puts a holt to her list and really to her life. She's surprised at the end of the season when her nieces show up as they usually would for the summer - she expected their plans to have changed significantly after the death of their brother, so she wasn't prepared for the visit. The girls decide to help Jo finish out her list, making friends with a new neighbor in Jo's condo whose single dad happens to be a hot guy that Jo kissed to mark off one of her list items: kiss a stranger. This is more women's fiction than romance, because while the romantic subplot is important, it's really secondary to Jo dealing with her grief and learning to let people in again. There's a teaser for the next book, featuring Jo's BFF Nina, which I will definitely plan to read.

Jo Walker had a plan before she turned 30. She had a list of 30 things to get done before she reached the big 3-0 milestone - go skinny dipping, visit x amount of countries, kiss a stranger. When her two nieces unexpectedly arrive expecting to stay all summer she realizes her list is going to need some help if she's going to get it done in enough time - enter handsome neighbor and hot single dad Alex Hayes.

For the last year, Jo's been dealing with a great family tragedy, though not quite processing it. She can't think about her nephew's death, so she instead throws herself into countless jobs working on a yacht with her best friend. When her nieces arrive its just the reality check she needs to start living again. It doesn't hurt that thanks to them she's within the orbit of one of the cutest guys in her building.

Ruiz's novel is sweet and romantic in all the right ways. The romance between Alex and herself doesn't distract from the core message at heart which is refreshing to see. Alex isn't the only story within it's pages, he just adds to it.

Thank you to Sarah Grunder Ruiz, NetGalley and Berkley for the lovely read. It was the perfect holiday book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC. Jo Walsh is reeling from a bad breakup and a terrible family tragedy. After the breakup, she makes a list of things to do before she turns 30. But her plans quickly deteriorate when her two nieces show up for a summer. Throw in a hot new neighbor/coworker and Jo has to decide ho to lvie for herself again while being the supportive aunt her nieces need.

Ladies & gents: Meet one of my top favorite romcom/heartfelt books of 2021. The setting and feel of the book reminded me of that reality show Below Deck, mixed with Hallmark Drama. It had the perfect mixture of romance, humor, family hardships, grief, & character development.

I didn’t expect to feel every single emotion while reading this one. From the very beginning, I went from laughing to crying (shocking, I know!) to completely swooning. I devoured this book in 24 hours, not wanting to put it down because of how invested I was in Jo’s life. I loved seeing her character develop throughout, showing struggles that many of us go through. Nina’s character had me hysterical throughout; I definitely want her as my hype girl. And Alex: NEW BOOK BOYFRIEND ALERT! Major swoon! I loved the journey this book took me on and I’m extremely excited to see what else Sarah Grunder Ruiz writes.

A HUGE thank you to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing, and Sarah Grunder Ruiz for this e-arc! Check out Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships on its pub date 11/23!

(TW: loss of child, loss of family member, grief, divorce)

I loved the mix of substantive character development, romance, and humor in this novel. Grunder Ruiz doesn't shy away from the various characters' dealings with grief, but there are also plenty of fun antics (the coral castle trip was one of my favorite parts) to keep things moving. And the romance (closed door) is my favorite kind - based on genuine understanding and liking, but with sizzling attraction.

I loved the setting of this book. And the setup/meet-cute was handled far better than other books I've recently read that used the "kissing a random guy" setup. The grief themes (tw: death of a child) were sadly on point for me.

This book was a little heavier than I expected but in such a powerful, rewarding way. The characters’ individual journeys were as moving as the love story, and the yacht setting was too much fun as a backdrop for it all. Grunder Ruiz’s writing is just stunning and I can’t wait for more in this series!

Let me count the ways I love this book: the Bucket List, Jo's character arc, attention to detail, swoony kisses, and dreamy descriptions. I generally am not a big highlighter, but I found myself loving so many sentences and exchanges between the characters. Sarah will easily be an auto-buy author going forward.
Jo has a thirty by thirty and her birthday is fast approaching. She's been blogging her experiences as any fun millennial will do. All of that abruptly stopped when a tragic accident happened. Heading into summer, Jo buckles down and puts her head together with her best friend, Nina, to complete her list, beginning with kissing a stranger, who just happens to keep popping up in the weirdest places. With her nieces unexpectedly showing up for the foreseeable future, throwing any plans she has out the window.
Sarah's creativity for completing the list was delightful. I had to smack my head with a "duh" a couple of times with the way she handled it. Clever, clever!
While I am internally jumping -up-and-down-excited for Nina and Ollie to get a book (sassy best friend and grumpy Irish chef, yes, please!) I am crossing all my fingers and toes that a certain sister gets one too. With the way that Sarah beautifully expressed the grief cycle in this book, I know she would knock it out of the park again and I need all the HEA's.
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

4.5 stars

Jo has a bucket list of items to do before her 30th birthday. One such item is to kiss a stranger, which she does one night at a local bar. When said stranger moves into her condo complex and begins working as a chef on the yacht she is a stewardess on, things become awkward for her.

Jo’s nieces come to spend the summer with her after their brother is killed while riding his bike. While they all are processing their grief in different ways, Jo still wants to make this summer an amazing one for her nieces. And her nieces want to help her finish her bucket list items (get a tattoo, sing karaoke, run a marathon).

This sweet, closed door romance is perfect for fans of Float Plan. I loved the banter between Jo and Alex (the “hot yacht chef”). There are definitely trigger warnings for the death of a young child, but the book was everything I love in a romcom!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

In many ways, Jo Walker has an enviable life. She is financially independent and has a job as a yacht stewardess that allows her to explore the world. But as Jo inches closer to thirty, she can’t help but feel she’s falling short of some life goals.

That’s when Jo decides to create a list- thirty things to do by the time she’s thirty. But then a family tragedy unexpectedly upends her life. It’s only when her nieces come to stay with her for the summer that they push her to return to her list, and to living.

Love, Lists and Fancy Ships is an interesting book with a lot of layers. There’s themes of loss, friendship, and love threaded throughout this story. In fact, despite its airy title, it’s actually a novel that charters deeper waters than one might expect. There’s even a teaser at the end that hints there might be more of these characters to set sail with.

I cruised with @lovearctually for this title courtesy of @netgalley and @berkleyromance. Be sure to drop anchor on this debut novel by @sarahgrunderruiz when it comes out later this month!

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
This was not at all what I was expecting or what the synopsis made it out to be.
It was much heavier. And at times it felt like it was never ending.
I wish this was marketed right because I feel like there is a certain group of people who would enjoy this more. Unfortunately, I wasn't in the mood for it.

This book was sweet, sad, and heartfelt all at the same time.

I enjoyed seeing Jo’s some unfold - balancing her nieces, her job, her relationship & her grief. I liked how the relationship moved from friends to more.

The peek into the family’s grief and how each person managed it was heartbreaking. And as much as I was frustrated by how not helpful Jo’s coping mechanism was (aka not addressing it); I know everyone copes differently. I am glad that things were resolved a little by the end.

This was a quick read and overall very enjoyable to me.

I picked this up expecting to read a romcom about an almost-30-year-old completing a bucket list and falling in love. There was plenty of romance and lots of laughs, but also a heaping dose of tears as well.

This is a story of grief, of sharing grief with those you share it with and learning to love again after heartbreak. It’s about learning how to sit in your feelings and not bury them in distractions. It’s about guilt over moving on and finding happiness and love again after loss.

I was expecting a romcom, but what I got was so much more. Full of laughs, swoony butterflies, and yes, plenty of tears, I fell in love with Jo, Alex, and their girls. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

LOVED. This was less romance than I expected but the buildup was great. Dealt with grief in a good way & looooved the side characters. I also like the yacht setting! SO fun. 4.5-5 stars - would totally recommend.

This was so fantastic. More on the women's fiction side of romance, but the romance is still incredibly strong. The character development of not just Jo, but ALL of the characters was so, so strong. This definitely wasn't what I expected based on the title and cover alone, but it was heartbreaking and wonderful and will stay with me for a long time.

Jo is a stewardess on a super yacht, and about to turn thirty, when she’s inspired by her best friend Nina to make a 30 by 30 list of things to do before the big day. When a tragedy in her family results in her two teenage nieces unexpectedly coming to spend the summer with her, they discover her list and insist she finish it. But when the hot, new chef on the yacht ends up also being her neighbor with a teenage daughter of his own, will her attraction to him derail her plans?

To me, this felt like a mashup between The Guncle and Below Deck, which shouldn’t work, but absolutely does! LL&FS is the ultimate feel good story, the kind you just want to hug when you finish reading. I definitely would consider this more general fiction than romance, as the book focuses far more on Jo’s grief and relationship with her nieces than her romance with Alex. As an (almost) lifelong Floridian, this read like a love letter to my ridiculous, amazing home state, and I loved how the author showed some of the best parts of the state everyone loves to hate.

Genuine and heartfelt, this is a book you should just go ahead and preorder.

I wrote this book and have read it 100 times and still like it, so I think it must be a pretty good book.