This was cute, but not one of my fav romances. I liked the MC enough but the romance fell a little flat for me. Enjoyable, but ultimately not super memorable.

This was a fun read, and I flew through the book super quickly. I loved the setting, and I genuinely learned so much about life working on a fancy ship. While I enjoyed it, I did find myself wanting more nuance and substance to the actual romance itself.

Ok, but this BOOK!! I was hooked on SGR’s writing by the beginning of her first book, But this one truly cemented my obsession. I love Nina and Ollie so much it hurts. The dual timeline was absolute perfection, and the angst nearly killed me in all the best ways. Nina's character growth was just so beautifully done, & Nina and Jo have the literal best friendship ever and I am entirely
obsessed with them! (if you love Leslie Knope, you will love Nina. Nina and Jo are basically Leslie and Ann and I feel like that's probably part of why I loved them so much, lol)

And the love story between Nina and Ollie 🥹 They angst and the lining had my heart absolutely aching for them. They went through so, so much to get where they are and I just want to hug my broken little babies so much.Plus the chapter 4 reveal had my head SPINNING! This story was done so beautifully well, and I can’t wait to see what comes next from Sarah!

Sweet and fun and so delightful! I enjoyed every moment of this book. It's not too steamy, so it's a good romance for those who prefer no explicit scenes. But the sexual tension is wonderful and kept me reading, plus there's so much lovely personal growth. Highly recommended!

I did the audio of this one and absolutely loved it so much. Sarah is such a great writer and this was the perfect follow-up for LLFS. I think I loved this one even more. So good!

overall an enjoyable read, but I really struggled with Nina's commitment-phobe issues. Poor Ollie!

All that being said, it has inspired me to pick up a copy of the first book as I didn't realise this was a sort of sequel when I read it.

When we say these two have a history, we truly mean it. I didn't read the first one in this series, so I don't have any personal knowledge of these two before picking this up. Ollie and Nina were alternately frustrating and charming, and I really enjoyed this one.

What an absolute delight! I binge read the first book in this new series, Love Lists and Fancy Ships, and couldn’t wait to start the sequel, LUCK & LAST RESORTS, and be reunited with some of the beloved characters from the Serendipity yacht once again.

Nina and Ollie have a complicated relationship, as they both have feelings for one another, but don’t want to admit it. Nina is stubborn and guarded, and Ollie is a chef with plenty of his own scars. They have such great chemistry though, and it was fun to see their relationship evolve.

*many thanks to Berkley for the gifted copy for review

I thought this was super cute! I will say thought that at times it was a bit frustrating reading how much of a roadblock Nina was being in the relationship because that hit...close to home lol. But overall I really enjoyed this read and think it is the perfect light summer read especially if you are a Bravo fan.

This is the second marine romance I read in the last year (Float Plan being the first). Nothing says forced proximity like being stuck on a boat together! Nina has just accepted the chief steward position on a yacht that caters to rich people who often behave badly; her ex, smooth-tongued Irish chef Ollie will be the ship’s cook. He’s convinced he can win her over again, and if he can’t, he’ll go back to Ireland, which Nina finds oddly unsettling. She doesn’t want to get back together, but neither does she want him to leave the country for good. They agree to be friends, but true love finds its way.

I haven’t read the first in the series (Love, Lists & Fancy Ships) but didn’t feel I missed out on anything. I really enjoyed the details of professional sailing, a part of the hospitality industry that I have not given a lot of consideration. The tension of whether they would get back together or not was drawn out (and I felt badly for Ollie through most of the novel). The characterizations were real, complex and well-developed.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #LuckAndLastResorts from #NetGalley.

I could not get into this book. The writing is just not there - paragraphs in a row of people "says"ing and lots of telling rather than showing. The premise is so interesting and fun which is a shame.

I loved this book but then felt detached from it because of the FMC. I do under she was going through a lot, but I felt she didn’t mind using people at her disposal.. She was comfortable with even toward the end of the book and that rubbed me of the wrong way.

I don’t think she deserved to be with the MC… that said, this was a well written story with difficult topics that we tend to avoid.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙.

This is the second book in the Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships, but I read this one without having read the first one. They can be read as a stand-alone!

If I’m being honest I went into this one expecting to read a typical second-chance romance, but I was so wrong. This story blew my expectations and I loved it so much more than I was expecting to. The audiobook was so beautifully narrated and I’m so glad I went both routes with this one. I haven’t read anything by this author before, but I definitely will be reading more after loving this one.

Nina Lejeune flees her home after ten years and becomes the chief stewardess on a yacht named Serendipity. The only issue is her ex-coworker - Irish chef Ollie Dunne - returns after one year and becomes the Serendipity’s chef. Nina and Ollie have this secret from the past that ends up affecting their relationship in the present and the entire crew on the ship.

Not only was this a second-chance romance, but there was also a fake dating trope I really loved. My absolute favorite thing about this one was the characters, especially Ollie. I loved his Irish cultural background and he was just so wholesome. Nina was also spectacular and both characters were so well written.

Also, the setting was done so well. I’m not someone who would ever work on a boat like that, but they made it seem like such a fun adventure. I loved that most of the story took place on a ship. I loved how this story wrapped up. I was so sad when I finished it, it was so good and had me interested the whole time.

This was such a fun contemporary romance with amazing characters. I would definitely recommend this one, it was so well written.

Thank you so much Berkley and NetGalley for my e-ARC and PRH Audio for my ALC - all thoughts are my own!

🔊Song Pairing: All Through the Night. Cyndi Lauper (it may surprise you to know that I am a huge Cyndi fan and this is my absolute favourite of hers, I felt like Nina very much exudes Cyndi energy)

💭What I thought would happen:

Loved the first book, the cover is gorgeous and Nina is my soul sister - I figured lots of shenanigans would be had in this book.

📖What actually happens:

Nina is back for another season on deck without her bestie at her side. However, a fun surprise…Nina’s old flame and ex-husband is back on board. Damn, why does he have to look so good.

Flashbacks to when Nina and Ollie first began their love affair and how they can possibly pick up where they left off many moons later while breaking down personal relationship boundaries and insecurities.

🗯Thoughts:

NINA!!!! My home girl - lover of unicorns, funky fashion and just an overall bad ass…she needed her own book. Did I feel she seemed a lot more guarded and insecure than in Love, Lists and Fancy Ships? A little bit. I still very much enjoyed her perspective.

The ending!!!! Ahhhhh it had me all kinds of misty. It was everything I wanted it to be!

Check out if you like:
🛥️Boujee boats
📺 Below Deck
🦄 Unicorn everything
💘 Second chance romance
🇮🇪 Spicy Irishmen

There was so much to love about this book, and I am so glad I got the chance to read it. I loved Love Lists and Fancy Ships, and I couldn't wait to dive into this one. I didn't exactly love Nina, she sort of frustrated me at times, but Ollie, my goodness Ollie is the most patient man in the world, I swear. I loved this book so much and am such a sucker for friends-to lovers-to marriage of convenience-to enemies-to soulmates. This book is HIGHLY recommended.

This book was adorable! I loved Ollie so much! This book was just so fun. I didn't realize that it was the second in a series. It can definitely be read as a standalone, but I will absolutely be reading the first soon! I highly recommend this one! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

As someone who is not usually a fan of friends to lovers, Luck and Last Resorts converted me. It was everything that everyone is saying People We Meet on Vacation was. Ollie is one of my favorite heroes. his character is so well written that he feels almost real.

Loved it.

I've been waiting for this one since meeting Nina and Ollie in Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships, but I think I'm just tired of romance where the only obstacle to the MCs being together is that one of them claims not to believe in love or relationships while clearly being in love and in a relationship. I appreciated Nina's complexities and growth but also maybe Ollie really did deserve better. Still, engaging and entertaining and I loved the structure of their marriage and divorce.

Luck and Last Resorts is the follow-up book to Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships by Sarah Grunder Ruiz. We first met Nina and Ollie in the Fancy Ships book and now they are back as the main characters in this book. We get to learn more about them and what makes them tick as well as see if they end up with each other. Fans of Bravo's Below Deck series will devour this book. Read and enjoy!

A new Below Deck Series is starting this week so it felt like the right time to read Luck and Last Resorts by Sarah Grunder Ruiz and boy was I right! A huge thank you to @PRHAudio and @BerkleyrRomance for providing me a free copy of the book and audiobook to read in exchange for an honest review.

I actually started this book back in August, but the Summer Ending Blues were real and I couldn't bring myself to read about the beautiful adventures of Nina and Ollie (Oliver- if you're trying to get under his skin). I'm glad I waited! I'm taking off for Rome in a week and the wanderlust vibes are real! Luck and Last Resorts had me so excited about traveling that I was running around the house looking for my European Chargers and Euros!

Back to the book at hand, Nina and Ollie love to rib one another, but underneath the barbs is a simmering romance that spans a decade. Told through flashbacks and present day, this book kept me wondering what would happen next for these star-crossed lovers. The banter was excellent, their own baggage added to the story, and the personal growth was there. I really cannot wait to read Sarah Grunder Ruiz's next book!

Now that I've finished the book, I think it's time to turn on Bravo and watch Below Deck Norway!