A light chick lit read with a different setting and the twist of being told from three perspectives, I hope that the crew on cruise ships really do get to have this much fun!

Book Name: More Than Shipmates
Series: #1
Author: Philippa Young
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

When everything in your life seems to be falling apart and you just want to get away for a bit, joining the crew of a cruise ship seems like a pretty good idea. That’s what Eliza thinks when she leaves London behind for a six month stint aboard a cruise ship that’s travelling in much more sunny locations. He boyfriend cheated and her friends turned out to be not very nice people so she has sworn off men in the hopes of finding a bit of direction and fun. Of course, this means she finds herself attracted to two men…

I have never been on a cruise ship as a passenger or a crew member but holly shit. Is this real life? I mean I’ve heard stories about everyone pretty much hooking up the whole time, so I wasn’t surprised by that part. But do they really have all these parties and activities for the crew? And are they really that raunchy when it’s their place of business‽‽ The scavenger hunt!! Hahaha. Anyway, sounds like fun…

There was a bit of a love triangle element with this one and you went back and forth between which one you thought she was going to end up with (while also hoping they all ended up together 😉). There was plenty of spice, even before they actually have sex, with all those hornet young people around who will use any excuse to hook up with each other.

Anyway, cruising sounds fun! And it looks like there’s going to be a second book in the series if you’re wanting to continue with the series.

Thanks to #NetGallery and the publisher. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Genre: Romance
Format: Digital
POV: Dual
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ /5
Age suggestion: 18+

What a fun and wild ride aboard a cruise ship! I love the concept: how is it to work and live on a cruise ship? You're trapped with people that you have to live and work with, and you can't communicate with your family or friends. Cell service is spotty at best, and you pretty much stay on the ship at all times.

I usually don't like books with love triangles, but this book changed my mind! I was rooting for both men. Tom and Oscar would have been good matches for Eliza. I think that the other crew members were so much fun too. The games that they played to pass the time on the cruise ship added so much to the story. The characters were having such a good time, and I wanted to join them on the cruise too!

I also liked that they were all good at their jobs. Sometimes, in a workplace romance, there's one character who can't figure out how to do their jobs properly, but that didn't happen in this book. I also enjoyed all of the songs that were featured in the book, especially the Broadway musical showtunes. I listened to the Spotify playlist that was included, and it made me feel like I was immersed in the story.

Don't let the cover fool you- this is a steamy story! I loved it! I would definitely recommend this book. It will be a great way to escape on a cruise vacation without leaving your own living room. What a great way to start the summer! Get it on June 1!

Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing for an ARC of this book.

Super light, super fluffy, super fun! Not for me, as it turns out, but the cruise ship setting is a fresh one and the romance(s) between Eliza, Tom and Oscar power along with the ship. If you like fun, flirting, lots of steam, low stakes angst and crew shenanigans, this is a fun read.

Thank you Netgalley and Summer Stars Publishing for providing me with this ARC.

This book totally won my heart! I was super sceptic going into this book because I’m normally not a big fan of love triangles, but it was executed very well here and with just the right amount of angst.
I, like the author, am a big musical theatre enthusiast so all the references were much appreciated. I was just thinking how cool it would be if Eliza and Oscar performed songs as JD and Veronica - and THEY DID! So epic! Fight for me and Seventeen are some of my favorites, Dead girl walking would have probably put me into cardiac arrest.
Eliza was such a fun character and I loved watching her coming to terms with what she really wants in life. Oscar and Tom were both total cinnamon buns. Without giving to much away, I’m super happy how the love story played out.
As criticism I want to talk about the length of this book. With nearly 500 pages it really really scratches on the absolute maximum on how lang romance novels should be. In my opinion the book sometimes lacked some direction or was a tat bit confusing to follow. Another small negative talking point could be the games - here and there I had a heart time following what was happening during the crew games.

All in all this book was definitely a super cute story with just the right amount of heat and horny crew members 🤭 I would definitely recommend it in the future!

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

Eliza enrolled as an entertainment on a cruise... She vows not to mix work with romance but she is attracted to American Tom and Brit Oscar....

A terrific love triangle. All the characters are interesting and fun. I enjoy the different POVs. Love the fun British words especially A light-hearted funny romantic story.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Stepping onto a Caribbean cruise ship for the first time, Eliza is filled with trepidation. After another failed application to drama school, she's set her sights on adventure and is locked into 6 months as an entertainment host!

On her first day she meets Tom, an American comedian and fellow newbie, and then unexpectedly she meets Harvey, a tall, blonde Brit... naked in her cabin! She's sworn herself off of men whilst on board, but as their connections grow will she be able to resist their charms?

Author @philippayoungauthor reached out to provide me with this ARC and I'm SO glad that she did. This is an incredible debut and I'm so impressed with the depth she's given to both the main and the supporting characters; I connected with each of them right away and loved the 3 way POV. The descriptions of the cruise ship and its destinations were beautiful as well!

The book itself is longer than most romances which I loved! This was very much a story of personal growth for Eliza, Tom and Harvey alongside their interconnected romantic pursuits. The 🔥 gave perfect 'good girl' vibes and the characters were inclusive and varied (queer friendly). Ultimately I couldn't put it down and am absolutely blown away!

This book will publish on June 1st and I highly recommend you pre-order a copy ❤