I love when I have books with the same name that are completely different genres! In this case, I read Santa Cruise from Fern Michaels which is a fun, girls trip for 4 women that have been friends since High School.

If you like books about women friends, this will be pretty enjoyable. I like them in theory but sometimes I get annoyed with how they portray women. It seems like there is always hyper-critical parts of the story focusing on how one or some of the women look like, if they are frumpy, overweight or dress in casual clothes they are made fun of. It’s always a really big turn off for me. In this case, that occurred in the first chapter as the women all met each other at their HS reunion. Then they fall back in to their old friendship and act sweet as pie to each other.

I wish these stories could be women who just accept each other for what they are and care for them without having to make them a project of change. Oh well.

Most of the book was enjoyable once you get past that part.

I haven’t read a Fern Michaels book in a long time. It’s nice to get back in to her writing style.

Thank you to #KensingtonBooks and #NetGalley for making #SantaCruise available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Amy, Frankie, Rachael, and Nina were highschool friends who were inseparable, until they lost touch after they graduated. Fifteen years later, they are attending their reunion and realized that although many things had changed, their friendship was still there. Although they live all over the US, they want their bond to grow. They are strong and successful, and still looking for the right partner. Frankie, the planner of the group decides they should take a single cruise for the holidays and they all agree. It is late December and all four are in Miami, ready to board the cruise ship with a passenger list that includes hundreds of eligible men. Imagine four highschool friends, who haven't seen each other for a long time, on a cruise together and hoping to meet an eligible partner, fun is bound to ensue.

I enjoyed this story, but would have preferred a quicker start and more cruising. The first part of the book was character development and background, which was interesting, but took too long. Once they got on the ship, things flew by. I did enjoy the characters, they were normal, not over the top looking for a quick hook up, which was nice. There was some fun on the cruise and some interesting friendships were made, but the story just didn't grab me. I finished it and liked how it wrapped up, but it is not one I will think about after the fact.

Although the title infers 'Santa' this did not really get into the holiday at all. I thought there would be more about the holiday spirit during cruising but it did not. There is a lot of details on what occurs on a cruise although liberty was taken on getting into specialty dining that isn't real life (reservations are needed quite in advance). Good descriptions on port excursions in this story. The actual cruise didn't take place until almost half way into the story. Many romances did occur among the 4 friends.

Fern Michaels gives us a frothy Christmas tale of four ladies who take a Santa Cruise from Miami for seven days to meet men and relax. Happy reading; new relationships. Relax and enjoy.

Unfortunately I got bored with this one . It sounded so good but I guess it just wasn’t for me .

I

This was a fun female power novel set on a festive cruise. I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters throughout this book. It was a good look at female friendship & how women can get it done. Highly recommend reading this book.

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

It is the 15 year reunion at Ridgewood High School and 4 very close friends find themselves reconnecting. Nina is an actress in Hollywood, Amy is a bioengineer, Frankie works at a publishing house, and Rachel is now divorced and running a dance studio. They all realize that although they have all had success in their careers, they are all still single and none of them are happy about it. The 4 friends agree that they want to change this and agree to on a special holiday cruise together during Christmas time. Rachel, Frankie, Amy, and Nina felt quite real to me, and their friendship was palpable. Though they were "looking for love," the concept that they should HAVE to get a man was not the main point of the story. The story focused more on their friendship which I enjoyed rather than changing for the men around them. Preparations for dance classes, cooking classes offshore sightseeing, and of course speed dating. Although only one of the women seems to have any success in speed dating the others are cheering for her. One of the women just found out she might not have a job in the the coming year and another has applied for a different job as she is not happy at her present one. One is just not sure she enjoys the perks that come with her job as she has nothing else and of course the romantic boy crazy woman would like to find fulfillment and enjoyment in her life. A light and fun book.. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an ARC ebook.

This is a story of 4 friends in their early to mid 30s..who on meeting at high school reunion decide to go on a singles cruise on new years!
The plot was very interesting but somewhere it got lost with a lot of unnecessary details about food, clothes, and other trivial things..
Also the title sounded as if there was Christmas festivities included but that wasn't the case.
But still if you are looking for some woman's fiction with some adventure check this one out!
Thank you Netgalley and publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Santa Cruise by Fern Michaels is a modern day novel about four women who go on a singles cruise over the holidays. The women - best friends forever - ran into each other at their class reunion. They are a fun loving group. They want to live life to the fullest, so they are determined to not let another New Year’s go by without them moving on to their destiny.

Together they decide to go on a singles cruise in the Caribbean and enjoy time together. Once on the cruise the women are full of laughter and seem to collect people in their wake. They are all a bit of fashionesta and there is a lot of time spent on clothes and dressing up in outfits.

I enjoyed reading the novel and found parts of it very interesting. I found the whole discussion about clothes and outfits less interesting. I did like the reflections that each went through as they moved on in their personal lives. Santa Cruise by Fern Michaels was a good read.

This was my first Fern Michaels book and I'm not sure if it is representative of all of her books, but I really didn't care for this writing style. Much of the book (~75% of it) seemed very logistical and just listed daily activities - "I'm going to order sushi for dinner" and then an entire paragraph about sushi. "She decided to wear this outfit - blah, blah, blah" and then an entire paragraph about the outfit. Too many descriptions that really don't add anything to the story - it made the reading very monotonous.

This is a story about four 33 / 34 year old women that make an agreement at their high school reunion that if they don't have New Year's Eve dates by Thanksgiving, they will all go on a singles cruise together. They go on the cruise and they attempt speed dating, etc. They all do meet nice people and they enjoyed themselves. And I was treated with very detailed descriptions of what they wore, what they ate, the excursions they went on, etc. I really felt like I was listening to a child just talk nonstop about random things.

While this was a cute story idea, this book just didn't do it for me. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.

Well….I did enjoy this book for the most part. I was a little disappointed because when I read a Christmas story I expect a little more Christmas than was in this book. It’s about 4 friends who meet up at a class reunion and decide to go on a cruise between Christmas and New Year’s. I felt that the story lacked any Christmas Magic and could have been set anytime of the year. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have always loved her books, and this is no exception! What a fun read! Four friends from high school meet up at their high school reunion, and decide to take a singles cruise together right after Christmas ending the cruise ringing in the new year. It was such fun following each of the friends through their festivities on this cruise, both together and separately. I loved how you got to learn about each character on a personal level. This can be read anytime, not just during the holidays. Highly recommend this fun holiday read!

I am a little conflicted on how I feel about Fern Michaels' Santa Cruise.

On one hand I love the concept and the narrative that unfolded of 4 single gals on a post-holiday cruise, checking out both the sights and the men.

But on the other hand I would not characterize it as a festive story and some of the thoughts the characters had were so over explained it was painful.

Love the characters and the concept, but not so much the edit.

The Santa Cruise, by Fern Michaels, is the story of four women who reconnect at a high school reunion after being separated by college and circumstances for many years. All single, they make a plan to take a singles cruise right after Christmas should they none be in a relationship by October.
Frankie Cappella, an editor for a New York publishing house, takes charge of the planning for the group. The other ladies of their group are Nina Hunter, who has a recurring role in a sitcom, Amy Blanchard, a Silicon Valley biotech engineer, and Rachael Newmark, dance studio owner and instructor. These four very different personalities are a perfect blend of crazy and will entertain the readers of this delightful book.

Each woman is at a crossroads in her life as they embark on this adventure. None are content with where they are in life, including their relationships and their work lives. As the trip unfolds, new possibilities become evident for each one, opening up a myriad of options they may just embark upon as their New Year’s resolutions.

Funny and warm hearted, this is a lovely holiday offering from a seasoned author. I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it!

Four friends from high school reunited fifteen years later and decide to take a single cruise on New Year if they are single by ThanksGiving. A journey through friendship and selfdiscovery.

All I want to do after reading this book is go a cruise. The descriptions of the cruise activities were awesome and the food...omg I was hungry the whole time reading this. The setting and the characters were all great. The plot was a bit lacking. 4 women reconnect at a high school reunion and decide to go on a holiday singles cruise over new years. The first 25% is about them planning the cruise then the rest is about them on the cruise and the activities they do. Each of the women is struggling with what they want to do with their life next and being on the cruise helps them make those decisions. That's essentially the whole plot. They were on a singles cruise and there was no romance! How does that happen? I was going into this expecting some flirting, dating, romantic day activities, and so much more.

But this was not a romance, I would consider this a contemporary book with the idea of romance without actually having any. I also found that the writing got a bit old at times, be repetitive with humor.

This was fun, easy to read, and quick to get through. If you are looking for an easy book to read on vacation (or to make you want to take on) then I would recommend the book but its not something I will suggesting to everyone to read.

What better way to spend the holidays than with your best friends? After meeting up at their 15 year high school reunion, four lifelong friends who are dissatisfied with their life, their jobs, and their single status decide to celebrate the holidays together on a singles cruise to the Caribbean. Unfortunately, the book took awhile for the girls to actually get on the ship as there was a lot of backstory and telling about why each character needed a change. Once aboard, they meet people including one friend’s father, sit at the Captain’s table, and win the prizes from the auction. Of course, it's highly predictable that they all find romance, and new job opportunities that just happen to fall in their laps. No drama, no intrigue. Everything is tied up nicely at the end.

This was a very quick read where the reader knew that all the four gals would have their fairytale endings, having kissed under the mistletoe. Given the title, I would have thought there would have been more details incorporated with the magic of Christmas but other than the story taking place at that time of year and the sprinkle of mistletoe by the girls, this story could have happened at any time. It is a feel-good book, not a holiday book, and doesn’t require much engagement from the reader but to sit back and cruise along with the story.
I give it a 3 for just being "okay".

Many thanks to #Santacruise #fernmichaels # netgalley and Kensington books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

True to Fern Michaels’ style, this was a sweet, clean, fluffy, fun romance. I enjoyed getting to know these ladies and the friendship they shared, but was really hoping for a lot more cruise time and a bit more ‘Christmas’ with this one. Overall a good rainy day read.

Thank you to Kensington Books (#kensingtonbooks) and NetGalley (#netgalley) for a chance to read this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Four friends from high school have gone their separate ways but have met again for their high school reunion. None of them have partners now and Frankie came up with the idea that if they did not all have dates by Thanksgiving they were going on a cruise right after Christmas. The girls liked this idea and then Frankie started planning their trip.

I really enjoyed getting to know these ladies and to appreciate their friendship. They wanted each other to find success and were genuinely pleased when the other one did. Amy, Nina, Rachel and Frankie are what makes true friends..I enjoyed reading about their antics and wished I was on the cruise with them.. It sounded like so much fun.

Unfortunately I could not get into this book. I’m a woman in my early 30s, like the characters in this book, and the way they spoke was just… inaccurate. Honestly I was thrown off within the first few pages just by the description of Frankie. I know that everyone is different but her accomplishments just seemed so out of reach for her age.

Frankie wanted to become a singer, so she attempted to do so after high school and it unfortunately didn’t go anywhere. So she started doing temp jobs to afford her rent, and has worked her way up (with no mention of school) to be the Vice President of a major publishing company in New York by the age of 33? I just don’t believe it. And I don’t necessarily need romance books to be totally realistic, but with the combination of that and how the characters spoke, I couldn’t get a clear picture of them in my mind because it seemed like they should be closer to 50.

Lastly, I was disappointed how late into the book the cruise actually begins. They board around 45%, which still leaves a good portion of the book left, but based on the description, I didn’t expect it to take until halfway through the book for the characters to go on the cruise.

So this wasn’t for me, but if you choose to pick it up, hopefully it will be for you!

Thank you to Kensington Books & NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!