A Cruise Fling was a great read. It was so easy to get into the storyline, I loved all the characters and the flow of the book. Mackenzie and Cole both go on a cruise for different reasons but end up coming together on the cruise. I would absolutely recommend this book!

Mackenzie (Mac) has just lost her boyfriend, her home, and her job. Her best friend works for a travel agent, though, and sets her up with a weeklong cruise to get away from it all and relax before diving back into life and hunting down a new job and moving in with said friend. Cole is on the cruise because it's the last week of his friend Trent's job working the cruise, and they usually spend these times together. When a luggage mishap immediately occurs, Mac ends up with Cole's bags and takes it upon herself to bring them to him, in the hopes that it was a mix up and he ended up with hers. Each of them is smitten immediately, but both are committed to only having a fling for the duration of the cruise and no longer. Will they get together for real, or will their respective lives keep them apart?

I thought the book was fine. I liked all of the representation, from hearing impairment to prosthesis to neurodiversity. The characters' disabilities was the most interesting part to me, and it's clear the author has experience with hearing loss because of how well it is portrayed, and how she gets Mac into and out of situations. There is also some PTSD and talk of being overweight, which are nice to see represented, as well. Ultimately, though, I didn't feel much of a connection to the characters, and I didn't feel any real tension between them, which made it hard to care what was going to happen. I was actually more interested in Quinn and Trent, and how things went for them. It's not a bad story, but I probably wouldn't read it again.

I received a digital ARC from NetGalley for free. I am voluntarily leaving this review.

Cruising is my favorite way to travel (only unpack once, see so many places!) so I jumped at the chance to read this one. I love that cruising is realistically represented in this one, with onboard activities and port stops. The main characters are fun and I enjoyed getting to know them, warming to them right away. I understand the need for the emails to move the story along but they got to be a little tedious after awhile as did the instalove between so many different couples (I wish Rob had found someone, too). The writing flows well and the story is easy to follow and I liked how each of the characters issues are addressed and accommodated. All in all, an enjoyable read.

When a fling turns into so much more 😍

I loved the story of Mac and Cole and I loved that the author touched on difficult subjects from Cole having a prosthetic leg and the way he lost it to Mac wearing a hearing aid and thinking she’s bad luck.

Mac may have thought she was bad luck thanks to a series of bad relationships and recently being unemployed and homeless, but turns out she just needed to start believing in herself. The fact that Cole helped her stop doubting herself made me love his character so much. He was definitely lemonade in my book!

The spicy scenes were 🌶️🌶️🌶️ and I loved how funny and entertaining the supporting characters were!

I recommend reading this on vacation with a cocktail in hand and a lot of down time. This was a long book--like really, really long. I was eager to get through it by the end, and I persevered because it was an ARC that I committed to reading. I wouldn't have minded the length if I was hooked to every page, but I wasn't.
There were parts I skimmed (though, all in all, I read it pretty thoroughly). I wanted to get to the real conversations between Mac and Cole--the ones with passion and emotion. But the two of them were obsessed with talking about having a fling. And when Cole finally tried to have a reasonable discussion about dating like a healthy couple, Mac...well, guess I shouldn't spoil it. But to include a common phrase from the book--not all relationships are lemons. Probably best if Mac hadn't dated her boss and lived with her boyfriend to begin with, and then maybe a lemon wouldn't have happened that made her afraid to date. I agree that Mac is terrible at making sensible decisions. So, in my opinion, pick up the pieces and grow a spine. Or better yet, don't sleep with anyone until you are ready and healed enough to do so! There is such a thing as a vacation without sex. As far as Cole went, I liked him. He tried to overcome his challenges when he felt powerful emotions for Mac. He fought for her. And he didn't shy away from things when the going got tough. Cole saved this book from being a lemon.
What I liked the most: the trivia game scene, Cole!!!!, Trent, Dani, Mac at the end of the book, and the epilogue.

**Spoilers**
I didn't like it when Mac responded to Cole about a potential pregnancy with something along the lines of...this is the 21st century, and I can take care of myself. I agree--she can. Go for it! But it isn't right to keep a child from their father. It's their child, not just hers. She could have said something like, "I can take care of myself but assuming healthy interaction, I'd never keep you from our child."
Also, I sorta checked out once Mac got sick with food poisoning. The book dragged during this whole part. I wasn't rooting for them as a couple--I was just rooting for Cole. Cole was seriously devoted, and I just couldn't understand why. At this point, the connection fizzled for me, and Mac just grated on my nerves. I wanted a HEA for Cole, not for both of them. On a side note, their friends were awesome--Trent and Dani. They saved the scene.
Mac then had a more meaningful and impactful conversation with Trent than Cole. Maybe Trent and Mac should have ended up together?
Then Mac gets mad at Cole after everything he did for answering her phone and defending her--I just can't get on board with that. Wow! Why did she leave her phone out for him to grab like candy? Mac then tells her friends, "He messed up everything I was trying to figure out." The woe is me mixed with the blame game. Nope, almost just went down to 2 stars for me.
The ending I actually liked...a lot. I thought the epilogue was the best part of the book. So, in the end, a 3.5-star read for me--rounded up to 4 stars because the author obviously put a ton of effort into this story!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was drawn to this book after being in a huge RomCom binge this looked a little different and the cover looked fun. It was definitely a cheesy RomCom and was not very believable. I was a little lost half way through keeping up with the plot but I am glad I came back to finish it.

I read A Cruise Fling on a cruise and it was just adorable. The perfect vacation read - fun, flirty, whimsical and easy!

This was a perfect long weekend read! I loved the day by day love story of Mac and Cole's cruise fling, and the way they healed together.

I really enjoyed Mackenzie and Cole’s unexpected romance in A Cruise Fling by Laura Brown. Mackenzie and Cole both go on a cruise in looking for answers to their upended lives and end up learning a lifelong lesson. Cruise with them as they discover that sometimes life will give you exactly what you need; as in: if life gives you lemons, make lemonade. You will be delighted and entertained by a great cast of characters; showcasing differences and how they should be embraced.

Mackenzie Laurel’s life might be in the dumpster, but thanks to her best friend, she’s got a cruise to look forward to; something she desperately needs after catching her boyfriend cheating. Too bad he was also her boss and roommate, leaving her unexpectedly homeless, jobless and single. The cruise is reprieve from the pressures of everyday life for Cole. He is a regular on the cruise scene and is using this trip to visit his best friend Trent, who is completing his final stint on staff. The two went through a horrible ordeal together almost a decade ago, where Cole lost a lot more than just his lower leg, and he's still picking up the pieces. A luggage mix-up leads to Mackenzie and Cole meeting, connecting, and feeling the zing of an instant attraction; possibly sparking an onboard romance. Hopefully the baggage from their pasts won’t hold them back from the 'lemonade' in their future.

Ms. Brown wrote a wonderful and heartwarming romance, reading like a travel journal with chapters titled by the day of the cruise. This story was also written to be inclusive of people with a hearing impairment and those affected by an amputation that should not to be missed. This was delivered naturally and with sensitivity to those with disabilities. She provided a tale rich with sizzling chemistry, amusing banter, and a cast of endearing characters giving Mackenzie and Cole an unexpected chance at a future together. I highly recommend A Cruise Fling to other readers and hope there is a follow up story for Dani.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

The story is great in concept and sets a scene that inspires vacationing at sea. The main characters were great in the beginning, but then fell flat through the remainder of the story. The pacing was inconsistent, and it was a little tough to get through significant parts of the story. Despite that, there weren't any stones unturned and the reader will have any nagging questions answered.

I’ll be honest. I wasn’t expecting a lot from this book when I first started reading it, but…I was wrong! This wasn’t just a fluffy romance novel.

This books has characters are dealing with real life issues, a physical disability, or are trying to make major life decisions. A few have traumatic events that affect their everyday lives and relationships. All of these serious topics are handled realistically and with care.

Thanks to Net Galley and Entangled Publishing for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to author Laura Brown, Entangled Publishing, and Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

About the story itself, I thought it was ok, but I saw some narrative gaps and found some things a little negative. The characters are cool, Cole and Mac are complex characters, with layers, and that's great, I found it super interesting that the author addressed the issue of amputating a limb and how that, despite being terrible, does not define who the person is (despite Mac emphasize Cole's prosthetic the whole time, which I thought was bad). What I really didn't like was the romance, I didn't think they had chemistry and they spoke little, throughout the narrative, about topics that I consider important for a relationship to work out, such as the desire to have children, marriage, where to live, what profession follow and others. I found the romance superficial. Also, I didn't really like the ending, it all happened so fast, it felt very untrue. Other than that, I found the reference to lemons the entire time to be far-fetched, it's pretty boring and tiring.

Mackenzie (Mac) is fed up with men. Her best friend sets her up on a cruise, in a beautiful balcony cabin cabin. Mac is determined to enjoy herself alone, laying by the pool and eating from the buffet.

Then she meets Cole, a handsome green eyed hunk and she starts to think that may be a cruise fling wouldn’t be a bad idea at all. Especially since Cole is very attentive and seems to really like her. They have great chemistry, but can they continue their relationship when they get back to real life?

I enjoyed this love at first sight, strangers to lovers romance. 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

I thought that there was a lot to like about this book. To start I felt that the story itself was cute and quite fun and I loved the inclusivity of the book due to both of the main characters having disabilities. That being said, I really didn't get as much depth or really as many details as I personally would have liked. If you are looking for light and breezy, this book is a solid choice but if you want something meatier, you will be left hungry.

I liked it. It was sweet, quick, spicy and it fixed some things that annoyed me in un-arranged marriage.
Too insta love for 4 stars but a very happy 3 stars.

3.5 stars. It was the perfect book to get me out of a reading slump. It would also be a good beach or pool read. Not that deep, sweet, somewhat spicy, and set on vacation (the second best thing from actually being on vacation yourself).
It felt like the author was taking on a bit more than they could chew with so many of the disabilities mentioned but it is a part I really appreciated. It was very normalized and flowed into their conversations with ease. All of the characters were likeable despite me not liking everyones struggles they seemed valid enough. If you are looking for a book where it has a happy ending this is most certainly it.

I received an ARC from Entangled Publishing through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A week to recuperate from her fate,
To forget for a while what's happened of late.
No job, no home and no boyfriend now
Mackenzie Laurel needs a fresh start somehow!

A cruise was her BFF's brilliant idea,
She also made it very clear
That Mac was to have a vacation fling
Forgetting for now what the future will bring.

She's not out for romance, but she'll play her part,
But with the wrong luggage left in her cabin to start
She decides to take it to where it should be,
Hoping that's where her own luggage she'll see.

There she finds Cole Matterhorn and sparks fly
He's travelling solo and both agree to try
To enjoy the cruise having fun for nine days
Then there'll come the parting of their ways.

So with fun and laughter, the two embark
On enjoying the cruise and having a lark.
Neither are looking for long term, it seems ideal
But what happens when their romance feels real?

A story of overcoming problems and helping each other,
Finding yourself - and romance to discover.
With new friendships and surprises in store for them too
With opportunities and shocking links with just who?

A fun read, with plenty of sun
One that really is a lot of fun,
But with obstacles to overcome, too,
Will they agree on what next to do?

For my complementary copy, I say a huge thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

4.5 stars Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for the E-Arc. I loved this book so much I am booking my next cruise lol. The characters were so relatable the situation they were in and going thru was something I can relate to. I loved how the MFC and MMC overcame their issues and worked towards getting better because that is real life. I think as much as I read rom coms to get out of my reality I still want to read something that is relatable and achievable and this book had both that. Cant wait to read more from this author.

I was so excited for this book! However, the premise far outshone the content. I was very disappointed. Coke and Mackenzie’s personalities and storylines fell flat. I will allow some grace for the instalove (I mean they were on a cruise, and the whole book took place within a month), but i can’t get over the lack of depth. There was no real conflict. The dialogue was so cheesy at parts it made me cringe. I really wanted to love this book!

“Mackenzie-Mac, you are a treasure.”- Cole

Loved this! 5 sparkling stars. My first novel by Laura Brown and I thought it was well written and so fun.
When my husband and I met we instantly fell for each other, no one could deny our feelings We’ve been together for 15 years and we’re still crazy for each other. So these two reminded me of us.
This had romance, hot chemistry, fun banter and great steamy parts. I really liked the cruise and all the characters, I couldn’t put it down.
I was smiling with wonderful, happy feelings after finishing this HEA!
I highly recommend this one.
Thanks Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.