3.75⭐ rounded up to 4⭐.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this initially as the blurb intrigued me. If you are anyone who loves going on a cruise and is curious about the shenanigans the crew gets up to behind the scenes, this is the book for you. Chaotic, raunchy, but fun. I usually stay away from love triangles but I didn't really mind it in this story. Also, if you are into musical theater, you'll enjoy reading this.

Thanks to Netgalley, Phillippa Young and Victory Editing for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book is about Eliza, Tom and Oscar who all work on a cruise ship. This is a love triangle, co-worker and multi-POV book.

I loved this book. It had a unique setup due to the cruise ship aspect (I have never read a book set on a cruise ship) it had a fairly unique plot and (as someone who normally HATES love triangles) I actually didn't struggle too hard with that aspect.

This book is great for people who love a forced proximity, co-worker, love triangle and quite a bit of spice.

This book is such a delight! It’s a brilliant debut romcom with a big heart and is the perfect treat for the summer.

Eliza Chapman takes a job on a Caribbean cruise ship to escape the home she believes has nothing waiting for her. Failed relationships, friendships, and not being able to get into drama school give her the courage to try something new. Who knew it would be so fun?

Firstly, I really enjoyed the pace of the novel. It moved quickly enough without robbing us of the atmosphere of the cruise ship life. It didn’t ever become monotonous and was full of fun.

The characters were great. I like Eliza, Tom and Oscar very much and thought they were well rounded. The side characters were lovable and funny too!

Let’s give a special mention to the spice; this book is hot, hot, hot. As I said, the perfect summer read.

If you’re looking for something funny, well paced and with a big heart, look no further. This book is very enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I loved Eliza's character. She was so relatable with all of her angst, self conciousness and self doubt. I found it funny how quickly she broke her "not hooking up with coworkers" rule on the ship!

Tom was the quinessential boy next door sweetheart who you so badly want the girl to end up with. He was funny and hot and cared about Eliza, but he wasn't Oscar Harvey.
Oscar Harvey was not at all what I expected him to be. I expected a playboy, which he essentially was before, but he ended up being the sweetest most caring guy for Eliza and the whole slow burn between them was so hot to witness! The fact that he encouraged her to break out of her shell and be more confident just made him that much more dreamy.

Watching Eliza's self doubt and anxiety cause her to overreact not only with Tom, but then also with Oscar had me so heartbroken for her. If she had just talked it out she wouldn't have suffered so much with all the unknown.

The whole cabin "orgy" was pretty dang hot! The secret makeout partner was a little predicatable to me and I felt like he wasn't brought up enough during the whole book, only to be brought up again at the end, which kind of bugged me that she'd so quickly want to see him again despite loving someone else. The shower scene with Tom was awesome, but nothing topped that deck scene with Oscar. I don't know why I expected a threesome to happen, but I'm kinda sad it didn't :P

I did find the book to be a little long with a whole lot of extra side stories, but I appreciate that the author took the time to really give each character their story. I loved the Oscar and Tom POVs throughout the book.

I really liked that the ending not only got her her happily ever after with the guy, but also with herself, finally realizing that drama school wasn't all that important and finally being able to do what she loved to do: perform.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! I'll definitely be following along to see what else Philippa Young writes!

I am a huge fan of the Bravo show Below Deck and I love a good plot where all the characters are living and working together, so this book intrigued me right from the get go!! I found it to be a super fun and easy summer read, this would be the perfect book to bring on a vacation because you get funny, witty dialogue, interesting characters, adorable romance and great spice!!

I loved the found family trope in this book as well, even though I am not personally a theatre kid as the majority of these characters are, I was able to still fully relate to them!! Eliza, Oscar and Tom were all looking to "find" themselves with this job, I really enjoyed the multiple POV's as it allowed the reader to really get into the heads of each character.

At times I did feel Eliza a bit immature with how she handled conflict and I really thought the romance was going in a different direction (IYKYK) but overall I was very happy with how the book wrapped up!

This was a fun, lighthearted summer read and had a lot of heart and humor. Based on the description and quite a few contextual hints throughout the book, I assumed this was leading up to a MMF/menage situation but it ended up being a sort of meandering love triangle. The reader was also given the POV of all three characters throughout the book, leading me to believe that all three would have more important roles. Some of the conflict felt repetitive and I think this story could have been told just as effectively if it were novella length.

Eliza Chapman has been failing her entire life. She can't get into drama school, despite trying several times. She can't keep a boyfriend or her friends, eventually having to quit the job she loved out of embarrassment. She can't even be her own brother's Personal Assistant. Which is why now she's getting on a cruise for the next six months to work as entertainment staff. She is at rock bottom, and this is her last chance. Since the last time she mixed work and romance ended in absolute disaster, Eliza has sworn off all men. That is until she meets Tom, a handsome, new crew member like her. And then again when she meets Oscar, her trainer on the ship. This love triangle creates a lot of tension as Eliza adjusts to being away from internet, family, and everything she's ever known.

This book was so light-hearted and fun. There was so much sexual tension that I could basically feel it in my room. I really liked this book. It took me awhile to get into it, I'll admit I found the beginning very slow. But I do think it was necessary, and the book got better as it went on. I usually never like love triangles because what if I have a favorite and they don't choose the one I love? But for the first half of this book, I didn't even have a favorite. I was really enjoying the playful banter between Eliza and Tom and Eliza and Oscar. I also really enjoyed the arguing between Tom and Oscar. Oscar is absolutely swoon-worthy. He is everything. Tom is also really amazing, but I started to really favor Oscar as the book went on. Obviously, it goes without saying that I will not be saying who she ends up with as to not spoil it. But either way, this was written elegantly and so beautiful.

Now, I've never worked on a cruise nor have I ever been a guest on a cruise. So based on my little to no knowledge about them, this was perfect to me. I love the way Young depicted the events that go on in a cruise. Especially the after hours things. There is explicit content in this book, and there are a few trigger warnings that I would check out before reading. Like I said, the beginning was really slow for me. I usually read ebooks relatively fast, but I couldn't find myself picking this one up as much as I usually do. Until about the halfway mark. I got really invested in the love story but also Eliza's character development, I really enjoyed seeing her come alive in the second half of the book. This was a great summer read, and it could definitely bring you out of a reading slump if you need one!

For a debut book - I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked this book. It was a quick easy read and the MCs were likeable. The growth of the characters throughout the book was done really well. It was steamy and spicier than I thought it would be - which I loved. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

I was given Advanced Reader Copy by NetGalley for an honest review.

Going on a cruise? Beach vacation? Pick up this 490 Page RomCom read by Philippa Young, her debut novel!
I’ve been on a couple cruises myself and I think I’ll never look at the cruise staff the same way again…haha. Philippe’s imagination left no stone unturned. It was detailed, current, funny and imaginative.

Eliza has been turned down multiple times for drama school, has broken up with her ex and has had conflict with friends. She wants a fresh start and decides to apply for a position on a cruise ship. Two other main characters she quickly makes acquaintances with are Oscar (Harvey) and Tom. This develops into friendship’s leading to a love triangle.
Philippa does an amazing job with description of characters.
The novel evolves as the cruise staff interacts and are involved in each others lives before and after their work hours. Clever, flirty, sexy games are played amongst them leading to flippant acts and surprise innuendos.
With a community including LGBTQIA, Philippa describes the challenges and acceptances they adapt to and embrace. The characters and shipmates have forced proximity and privacy is non existent. Friendships are made and challenged. Through some singing and performing opportunities, Eliza’s talent is exposed and they love her!
Steamy! Passionate and HOT!

Thank you Philippa Young for this ARC from NetGalley!

Eliza is trying to find her way. Heading off as an entertainment worker on a cruise ship seems like a good way to do that. But now she has the attention of both American Tom and Brit Oscar.

This was a cute read! Here’s what I liked:

🛳️ The fun on the ship. The staff plays these crazy games that I wanted to jump right in on! It’s reminiscent of summer camp dirty games.

🛳️ The depth. All three of the main characters have backstories that enhance their characters. None of them were surface level.

🛳️ Found family. Eliza was lost and I liked that it wasn’t only love she found but friendships more like family.

🛳️ The spice.

🛳️ The relationship between Tom and Oscar. A real bromance.

Here’s what didn’t meet my expectations:

🛳️ The romance. I liked Eliza with both guys. And I really thought the book was going to go in a different direction (MMF). There were all sorts of signs for it and I was sad it didn’t go there. This took a lot away for me.

🛳️The pacing. This could have been over 100 pages less and I would have been fine with that.

Overall, this is a hilarious book that is worth a read!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for the gifted copy.

The dedication hooked me right from the start. I consumed this book in less than 5 hours.
The tropes included in this book hit the mark: forced proximity, a love triangle(almost thought we were gonna get a poly couple for a moment there), and workplace romance.
There was so much sexual tension I was patiently(not really) on the edge of my seat waiting for someone to cave.
I started out fully team Oscar and had a very sketchy feeling about Tom but I'm glad that they ended up friends in the end. I loved how Oscar and Eliza connected throughout the book. Their little moments together made me consistently smile. I thought both characters brought each other what they needed and allows both of them to feel a little bit more comfortable in their skin. I loved the inclusion of different POVs, but sometimes felt myself rushing through Tom's to get back to what was happening between Oscar and Eliza. I loved the inclusion of LGBTQ characters and how Eliza accepted Oscar's sexuality.
I was constantly giggling like a little girl while reading. I will be purchasing a paperback copy when the book releases. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to be able to read this arc and would recommend this to all my fellow spicy rom-com lovers.

3.5 stars — Eliza is on a pathway to finding something she loves to do. After her life falls apart back home, she joins a cruise ship for 6 months to try and find her thing. What she doesn’t expect is to be thrown into a love triangle.

I enjoyed this up til about 80%, Eliza is a bit dramatic and I just got a little annoyed with her by the end of it tbh.

I love a cruise and I love forced proximity! So More Than Shipmates totally fit the bill for me. I have always fantasied about going off and working on a ship in a role just like the gang in this book have and it was so much fun following along their story!

It’s been a long time since I have read a story that is set up as a love triangle from the very start, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about it but I liked who it was done in this book. I’m happy that Eliza ends up with who she does and I’m excited to see that there will be a sequel following the other MMC’s own love story!

I loved all the incorporation of the party game’s throughout the book, it felt very true to form - anyone who’s spent any time at a summer camp can relate to how quickly games are suggested just in the hopes to kiss someone, or in this book do more than kiss! It also just makes sense to me that when stuck in on a boat for months on end you’d probably come up with a lot of creative ways to entertain yourself.

I am also a theatre kid at heart so I had so much fun with all the plot lines surrounding the actors and Eliza and Oscars theatre dreams and experiences.

Overall this is a very fun romance, a great beach read and makes me want to run away and take a cruise!

Thanks to NetGalley, Summer Stars Publishing Limited and the author Philippa Young for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"More Than Shipmates" by Philippa Young is a delightful and steamy romantic comedy that takes readers on a thrilling journey aboard a Caribbean cruise ship. Protagonist Eliza Chapman, who has always felt inadequate, finds herself enrolled as an entertainment host on a six-month adventure. Determined to avoid romantic entanglements, she vows to focus solely on her work. However, the irresistible allure of her colleagues, Tom and Oscar, puts her determination to the test.

Young's writing is engaging and filled with humor, creating a lighthearted and enjoyable atmosphere. The tension between Eliza and her potential love interests adds an exciting dynamic to the story, while the multi-perspective narrative allows readers to dive into the minds of various characters.

The setting of the cruise ship adds a touch of glamour and adventure, providing a backdrop for scandalous situations and tempting encounters. As Eliza navigates the challenges of mixing work and romance, readers will find themselves rooting for her to find love and happiness.

"More Than Shipmates" is a perfect escape into a world of fresh starts, self-discovery, and the complexities of letting love in. Philippa Young delivers a fun and enticing read that will leave readers with a smile on their faces and a longing for their own romantic cruise adventure. Prepare to embark on a journey filled with laughter, passion, and the joy of new beginnings.

This was such a fun read! Really made me nostalgic for my late teens/early 20’s. And I want to go on a cruise!

Eliza had really funny inner monologue moments that made me laugh out loud. All the scenes of the crew playing their little party games were both entertaining and…kinda super hot?

SO MUCH MUSICAL THEATER!!!!!!!! A dream, truly.

”Ugh, why am I even wasting time on someone who doesn’t know who Elphaba is?” LMAO girl same.

Minor complaint: with all the teasing in the beginning, I was SURE this was going to be an MMF book! It wasn’t. Still great though.

Really looking forward to the next book!

*4.75

I had no idea what to expect going in to this book and I loved it. I've never read a contemporary romance where there is a love triangle and you get all three povs. Now personally I think it was very obvious from the beginning that she would end up with Oscar. They just brought out the best in each other and helped each others dreams. I'm obsessed with him calling her cricket, my heart warmed every time he did it.
(also Oscar my bi king)

The reason it's not actually five stars is because I think that like from 70% to the end it still needs worked on a little bit. I still throughly enjoyed it but it felt like I wanted a bit more from all the characters there.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Set sail with a workplace-forced proximity-slight love triangle romance! I enjoyed the cruise ship setting and WOW, the spice was top-notch.

Our main character, Eliza, has massive insecurities that made the book become a bit of a slog for me. She refuses to communicate and uses her past experiences to inform her present, often projecting her issues onto innocent people.,

I really loved Oscar and Tom (would’ve loved more time getting to know them) and wouldn’t have been sad if they ended up together.

I liked many aspects of this book and definitely enjoyed the author’s writing style.

More Than Shipmates follows Eliza as she struggles with past rejections and breakups while trying to find her place on board a cruise ship in the Entertainment department.

I loved this book, its unique setting, and the many fantastic characters. Eliza, Tom and Oscar are all entertaining and sexy, and while love triangles aren't usually my trope of choice, I felt like it was perfect in this book! The love triangle is written well, and it felt like it developed and ended naturally.

Having recently been on a cruise, I found this book super relatable! I laughed at the end author's note - "I take no responsibility if you uproot your life and don't fall madly in love." I loved this, mostly because the book honestly does make you feel like you should immediately quit your job and go and work on a cruise ship for half a year. Or at the very least, go and spend a good amount of time on holiday aboard one!

This was a fun read, packed full with laughs, entertainment and spice.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review More Than Shipmates!

My husband and I are huge fans of “Below Deck”, so I knew I had to read this as soon as I saw it! This story offered a cool inside look into cruise life and working on a cruise ship that I haven’t really seen in any other romance book. I love when books have unique offerings to bring to the table, and this certainly did that in spades!

This entire world the author created was really well developed as were the characters and I couldn’t help but get sucked in! I was committed from the get-go-fully invested in these characters and their stories.

While this story is technically billed as a “love triangle”, I didn’t find it to be as cringey as typical love triangles can be. Honestly, this story was MORE about three people finding themselves while working aboard a cruise ship, and two of them happened to have feelings for the same person (although I was team Oscar from the start 😜).

There were a few minor issues with storylines not being fully resolved or concluded, but in general this story had a LOT going for it. It was SPICY 🥵, and FUNNY, and honestly it was impossible not to love! I’m a MASSIVE theatre nerd as well, so I appreciated all the musical references!

I could relate to Eliza’s feelings of not feeling good enough and of not having a place to belong to, which I think just bonded me to and invested me in this book even more. I’ve fallen in love with this book and was so excited to see that we’re getting more!

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op. All opinions are my own.

Eliza Chapman leaves her failure in London to hop aboard a cruise ship and pursue other career options. One of the first rules of this endeavor? No men. That rule is completely marked out as soon as she encounters Tom and Oscar.

This book is full of romance, navigating the failures of life, and finding yourself again. I found myself laughing out loud while reading each page.

I had never read a book centered around life on a cruise ship before (well, besides something about the Titanic, and we all know how that went…). I absolutely loved this book, and I recommend that every lover of romance check it out.

Be on the lookout for this one to release on June 1st! You’ll find me in the preorder line!

I would also like to extend a huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.