This has to be one of my fave rom-com books….a friends to lovers story, with a twist! I also appreciate the Asian American Pacific Islander representation.

This book really hit the spot for me. I loved it so much!! I related to Jasmine's character so thoroughly -- from her feeling like an outsider in her family and the desire to please them and gain their approval. This book was touching and funny and cringey and just about perfect.

A fun enemies-to-lovers romance that takes place on a senior’s cruise to Alaska. The setting alone makes for some very funny moments. A fun rom-com read. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an advanced readers copy of this book.

I loved Jasmie and Jake! Enemies to lover is a favorite trope of mine. And this was so fun to read. I loved the setting on the cruise and all the side characters as well!!

Jasmine Randhawa likes everyone to think she has it all—great job, perfect Seattle apartment, and a handsome boyfriend. But she’s not as confident or successful as she seems, and her relationship is at a breaking point.

When Jasmine finds herself single and tagging along on her parents’ vacation, she’s not sure her life can get any farther off course. It's a nightmare for someone who's been so fiercely independent to find herself on a cruise full of family friends who’ve judged her since childhood. Things only get worse once the ship leaves the harbor and she realizes that this is a seniors’ cruise, and the only other person under fifty on the entire boat is her childhood acquaintance, cocky and successful Jake Dhillon.

Jasmine and Jake clash right away, with Jasmine smarting over how their South Asian community puts him on a pedestal as the perfect Indian son, whereas her reputation as a troublemaker precedes her. Except they can’t avoid each other forever during the ten-day cruise, and they soon recognize a surprising number of similarities, especially in how many secrets they’re keeping hidden from their families. Their restlessness seems to disappear whenever they’re together, but is this relationship strong enough to last on land?

And even days after finishing it, I’m still thinking about this book. I loved how this book left me feeling so many different emotions ranging from sky high level of happiness to nail biting nervousness. However, by the end I was absolutely thrilled and appeased. It was sweet.

Absolutely loved this book! Sonya Lalli is a fantastic author and I really, really enjoy her romcoms.
Forced Proximity is one of my favourite tropes and Jasmine and Jake are on a cruise ship which is such a fun place to be stuck together. I am not sure I would say this is an enemies-to-lovers, but the beginning of their relationship was not smooth sailing (sorry, I had to). Both Jasmine and Jake are working through some tough stuff and it leads to them having some banter that isn't always polite.

I’ve enjoyed reading so many of author Sonya Lalli’s previous books, and was so excited to read JASMINE AND JAKE ROCK THE BOAT. Her books are so charming and sweet, and I really enjoyed this one too!

The story features enemies to lovers,Jasmine and Jake, on an Alaskan cruise, with plenty of banter.

I loved the character growth and themes of family and the choices we make.

*many thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the gifted copy

I did not read the first book in the series, and this reads just fine as a standalone. The main characters from the first book did have some appearances, but they were very much side characters.

I really want to go on an Alaskan cruise, and the descriptions of some of the stops only reinforced that desire.

Jasmine and Jake are each joining family members on a cruise. Jasmine had no idea that it was a seniors' cruise. She is sharing a room with one of her aunties, and her parents are also on the cruise. She and Jake only slightly knew each other when they were growing up, but Jake is very much the golden boy, and, well, Jasmine has a less positive reputation in their community and she struggles with her relationship with her parents.

Jasmine really needed to get out of her own way to be able to find some peace and happiness. She had gotten so used to being thought of negatively, that she really faced most scenarios from a defensive posture, and sometimes would create her own reality. And, the best part of this book is that we get to go on that journey with Jasmine as she is able to challenge and let go of some of her self-defeating beliefs. Jake also has some baggage that he needs to work through. This enemy/friends to lovers with some forced proximity, given that they're on a cruise ship, was an enjoyable read. I like how they were able to support each other. I will write more from this author.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

As someone with a sometimes stressful and taxing desi family, this book was extremely relatable. Every South Asian woman has a meddling Auntie constantly commenting on lifestyle choices, etc. Jake, just being a man, gets a pass and can do no wrong. It was an interesting plot twist that Jake was a kid she used to baby sit when they were younger. Anyone who is a fan of desi romcoms with complicated family drama should give this book a try!

At times the protag. is a bit immature, which is weird considering that there's an age gap where she's the older woman, but it doesn't detract too much from the book as a whole.

A fun read, but not a stand-out one.

When Jasmine ends up on (seniors) cruise with her parents, she never imagined that the only person her age would be her childhood friend (acquaintance?), Jake. Their South Asian community treats Jake like the perfect Indian son and Jasmine like a troublemaker. However, the two grow closer over the ten day cruise.

Sonya Lalli is a must read for me, and this did not disappoint. I liked Jasmine and Jake’s relationship - I always like a younger man/older woman trope. It’s a quick, fun read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

𝘼𝙣 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙟𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣 𝘼𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙖𝙣 𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙣𝙗𝙤𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙚𝙨-𝙩𝙤-𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚.

📍 Read if you like:
• Second Chance Romances
• Enemies To Lovers
• Forced Proximity
• Alaskan Cruises
• Personal Growth

This was such a fun read, I loved the Alaskan cruise setting. This is my first read by this author, but it most definitely won’t be my last - I enjoyed the writing style.

There’s a sort of enemies-to-lovers trope I really enjoyed, and the forced proximity on this cruise was so fun(ny). Both characters are stuck with an older age group and it’s hilarious reading about how they’re the only two young ones on board - *cough cough* forced proximity.

It also turns out that Jasmine used to babysit Jake, which brings a second chance trope. I honestly really think this story was written so well. I loved the pop references and the journey both characters took. There’s also a huge theme of personal growth, which makes you enjoy these characters more.

I will say, this book did take me a while to get into. It also felt very slow at times, and some of the decisions the characters made were over the top. There wasn’t a huge feeling of romance, but I do think both characters were portrayed well - I just wish their chemistry was a bit stronger.

Overall, this was such a fun and delightful read. I loved the amount of humor and heartwarming moments. This isn’t your typical kind of romance, which was very fun to read. It was fun for what it was and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Berkley for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

•𝗧𝗪/𝗖𝗪: Bullying, Emotional Abuse, Misogyny, and Sexism

This was such a fun, sweet and at times emotional read. I really enjoyed Jasmine's journey and watching her grow throughout this book. I wish there was a bit more depth for Jake and his relationship with his dad. I loved all the cultural element while reading. Overall, I really enjoyed this story!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

accidentally ending up on a seniors cruise with your parents? sounds like something that would happen to me, tbh! 🤪

this was a cute read— love how the romantic storyline played out in tandem with working through relationship dynamics with parents. i love when a story fully immerses you in a culture like
this one did with jasmine’s indian culture and her community of so many aunties and uncles.

its closed door and a slow burn but has great banter and really good, healthy communication throughout! we love to see it!

When Jasmine Randhawa finds herself on a senior cruise with her estranged parents and hundreds of aunties and uncles from her childhood, she's forced to face some truths about herself, like the fact that maybe it's time to grow up. Jasmine and Jake's romance never clicked for me, as they never felt like they were at the same place in terms of maturity and readiness for commitment. But as friends, their bickering-bantering is fun, and Lalli does a good job with Jasmine's growing pains and the family dynamics. There are other books that do it all better, of course, but it's an easy time-pass read.

My thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a sweet and layered story! This is a forced proximity romance with two estranged childhood friends-to-lovers who are trapped on a seniors cruise to Alaska with hundreds of meddlesome aunties. 🤭 There is such great character development evenly paced throughout this story and some really lovely nuanced exploration of identity, intersectionality, and the chaotic growth that our 20's and 30's bring. I loved the realistic depiction of growth–healing and the journey of 'getting your sh*t together' is not linear, and Jasmine's back-and-forth growth felt like a very honest and relatable depiction of this chapter of life.

Highly recommend for anyone who loves a messy and chaotic MC because they too worry that they will never be able to 'get their life together' and are constantly behind where they're supposed to be in life. I think you'll see a lot of yourself in Jasmine. 💜

I enjoyed this book SO much and just couldn't put it down.

It was so interesting to see Jasmine interacting with her family and finally teasing out (and starting to resolve) so many of their issues, all while this potential romance is brewing with the swoon worthy Jake.

I don't know too much about south asian cultures, but this was a really interesting insight - especially of the inequality amongst sexes that prevails so strongly compared to a lot of western cultures.

"It doesn't matter what I think, or even what your mother thinks. What matters, Jasmine, is what YOU think. Only once you accept yourself will there be any hope of others accepting you, too."

Jasmine has tried so hard to make it seem like she has the perfect life. The perfect home, with the perfect career, and with the perfect boyfriend. Boy, is she wayyyyy off about that. After her last relationship hits the final breaking point, Jasmine joins her parents on their vacation out of despite. But, one thing her parents forgot to mention is: it is a SENIORS' CRUISE. So now, Jasmine is stuck on a trip with people who have judged her from a young age. Jasmine's always been a girl who has tried to break stereotypes and rebel in every way possible. As a South Asian woman myself, I can get where she's coming from. What sucks is the image and ruined reputation that the adults of the South Asian community create, when they recognize women like Jasmine. To make matters worse in the story, the only other person on the cruise that is close to Jasmine's age is Jake Dhillon, who all the seniors ADORE. Jake drives Jasmine crazy, as he's the golden child while she's the troublemaker. But we all know their beef isn't going to last long😏 I love how Jake teaches Jasmine to stay true to herself, and to see herself from a different light. Sometimes it can be so hard to stay true to ourselves when our society is telling us that we can't be the people we want to be. This is a wonderful story about self-love, growth, and cultural identity😍

Sonya Lalli’s contemporary romance/rom coms are always so sweet and enjoyable, and I was excited to learn her newest, Jasmine and Jake Rock the Boat (now available!), features an Alaskan cruise. As someone who has taken one of those and would do another at the drop of a hat, I love revisiting in a book, especially a rom com! 😍

About the book: “An impulsive decision to join an Alaskan cruise getaway brings the chance for an onboard romance in this new enemies-to-lovers romance from the author of A Holly Jolly Diwali.”

Jasmine and Jake, as featured in the title, are the stars of this story. They are each other’s nemesis from childhood, and they find each other on the ship because they are the only two people who aren’t seniors (It turns out it’s a senior cruise). Much of their clashes continue as Jake is treated as the perfect son, while Jasmine as viewed as a troublemaker. In ten days on the ship, they can’t help but see each other, and eventually they form a bond over their individual secrets, tucked away safely from their families.

I loved the banter and, as always, Sonya Lalli’s thoughtful exploration of strong family expectations and the South Asian community. Jasmine grows a lot as a character and comes into her own during those ten days. Jake is a great character, too, and at his core you just can’t help but love him, even if he has some sharp edges.

Overall, this is a gem of a read, and I’m so grateful for the time I spent with it. It’s thoughtful and delves into important topics, while also offering plenty of fun and joy, too.

I received a gifted copy.

I want to thank the Joyful Chaos Book Club for providing an arc of this book!

Unfortunately this book didn’t quite hit for me. When it first started, it was definitely cute. Jasmine is a super relatable character, but felt almost too lost? This made it hard to get really behind her and root for her. In the middle while set on the ship I was enjoying it. The situations (especially with a cultural focus) were entertaining. About half way through though I just got bored. Jake as a mmc just seemed extremely flat and the overall relationship between Jake and Jasmine felt one dimensional with no real meat to it.

The last fourth of the book felt really long and drawn out. So all in all, definitely not my favourite book, but it had some cute parts (not enough to overcome its drag though).