this was so so cute! I loved all of the characters and I couldn't get enough of their banter. I love the summery aspect of this and read it on the beach. highly recommend.

Honestly, not at all what I was expecting and omg the love triangle. Super summery and fun, made me want to book a cruise.

I know there are books out there that are full of lighthearted romance tropes while still managing to address complex topics, but when Young tries to do it, I was left feeling scattered and confused. I was getting whiplash; one moment, a character is grieving, and then suddenly, someone is organising an orgy. And a few hours later, everyone heads back to work, albeit very hungover. Cue another crisis, be it a lack of direction in life, fear of failure, having feelings for more than one person, or a cheating bisexual boyfriend and follow it up with a game of drunken spin the bottle. More Than Shipmates may be way longer than needed, but it wasn't long enough to give anything in this narrative the time and detail required to feel like it was more than a hit list of hot topics.

Most of these characters had some level of angst ranging from "my family is emotionally abusive" and "drowning in grief after the death of a family member" to "I'm not close to my high school friends anymore" and "I thought my boyfriend was cheating on me so I jumped to extreme conclusions, and when I found out he wasn't I decided I didn't deserve him and broke up with him anyway". But the weirdest part is that they were all treated with the same level of importance, making it difficult to really care about anything. If everything is important, is anything really important?

I'm not a fan of love triangles, even in the best books, but this one made zero sense. Tom barely registered as a love interest, but every time we got a peak at his perspective, he was so madly in love you'd think they were already married. Meanwhile, Eliza only seems to consider his potential in the moments when she's given up on Oscar. If you define love triangles as three people in the same general vicinity who have contemplated a sexual attraction to each other at some point, then you might love this one.

Selfishly, I was very excited when Oscar revealed his bisexuality. In the famous words of Eleanor Shellstrop, "More guys should be bi," and I'll take bi representation wherever I can get it. Where many parts of this narrative fall short, Young did a pretty good job with Oscar's sexuality. Eliza as a character was often a blunt instrument; she jumped to conclusions, made mountains out of molehills, alternated between compromising and confrontational at the strangest times, and always walked away with the wrong impression of a situation. Lacking any subtlety or nuance, she nonetheless took Oscar's sexuality in stride, forcing me to actually like her for a brief moment.

I'm not going to lie; I'm writing this review over two months after reading the book. Whenever I tried to write down some thoughts, I found myself annoyed or disappointed or bored. So here we are now, with not so many details but with a definite feeling that More Than Shipmates just didn't work. I saw another review wishing this tired love triangle had ended in a throuple; honestly, that may have been the only way to salvage this book. I'm actually pretty disappointed it didn't happen now.

As an avid cruiser when I read the synopsis of this book was very intrigued. I loved the idea of getting a behind the scene view of the crew on a cruise ship. I really enjoyed the world that Eliza has laned in. As she is starts her new job, with new friends and lots of new love interests we get to tag along and live vicariously through her. It was like a raunchy fraternity party with all the fun, crazy games and sexual tension the builds between so many of the crew.
I loved the hilarious times where Eliza got of the cruise ship and she kept getting into trouble. I loved all the crew became her family/friend after having a hard time at home. I loved her relationship with Oscar. You could tell from the moment they laid on each other.
While I loved the crazy sexy games, they were playing I found her movement of switching between Oscar and Tom as little weird. I couldn't' figure out if I was reading a menage a trios situations or who I was routing for. It is my own hang up I never like reading a romance where the main character has relations with other people while falling in love with each other. I found the Tom and Eliza story line frustrating as I wanted her together with Oscar.
I am all for a slow burn, but this was little too slow. There was a slow part in the middle where she was with no one, and it felt weird. I wish we had skipped the Tom storyline and stuck with just Oscar because once I got back to the Oscar and Eliza story line there was so much there. I loved reading about them. The story line of her thinking he was cheating on her was predictable but as the story line had her really learning herself and growing up, I forgive her. She really had a lot of growing up to do and I am so happy with the ending of the book where she gets her cake and eats it also. As a supper wonderful happy and sunshiny woman, I loved to see her have her dreams come true.
I would recommend anyone to like cruising, great friend's groups with great humor, coming of age stories a truly happy ending this is the story for you. I will be looking forward to continuing reading these characters in the next book following Tom and Oscar's sister.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for my review.

** spoiler alert ** First of all I would like to say thank you to Net-galley and the author for giving me a e-copy of this book.

This book had such a good premise, with being trapped on a boat for six months and the work hard, play hard motto making the lines between colleagues and crushes blur making it seem like there were such high stakes for scandal to happen, but for me the story fell flat.

With me being a big fan of below deck, I thought this was 2 of my favourite things coming together however so much was hinted and it just wasn't delivered on. To me it got to the point where this book was just seeing how many tropes it could fit in before It was too many and lost the plot entirely - Forced Proximity, Work Place Romance, Love Triangle and Second Chance Romance.

This is a romance book, did it need to be almost 500 pages? No. There was definitely some unimportant non plot carrying points that could have been removed, for example the fact this book had multiple POVs meant that every event seemed rehearsed rather than a vessel to carry the story forward. Also I get she's on a cruise ship as part of the entertainment team but all the musical drop ins were a little tedious.

The idea of who will she choose had almost been overhyped to make it seem like a throuple or more of a tough decision but when reading the book this became obvious this wasn’t the case and the choice of who she was going to choose became very clear to the point she spends over 60% of the book with this person, wansn't really a tough decision was it?

Our main Character Eliza got pretty annoying towards the end when everything falls apart because she expects every man she has ever come in contact with to be a mind reader instead of acting like an adult and just having a simple conversation to resolve it, this just made the stakes not feel so high which lost my interest.

Also there is a whole storyline between Oscar and Tom which I don’t remember it ever being resolved so now its just a massive plot hole we will never know, what happened between them to make them dislike each other so much? If its a case of wait for the companion novel to come out, I think I will pass.

All in all the spice was pretty good in this book, and some of the story was ok, but I feel like maybe I wasn’t the overall intended demographic for this book which is why it has barely scraped a 3 from me.

Thank you Netgalley and the author for the free copy in exchange for a review.
Check TW on the Author's website!
Age Rec: 18 + (Sex)
Genre: Romance
Troupes: Love Triangle, Workplace Romance, and Forced Proximity.
Rating: 5/5 stars
I read this book over the summer on vacation and I am just now getting to writing my review, but overall this was the perfect read for a summer vacation (I even read most of it by the pool.) I loved the main character Eliza and I saw so much of myself in her. Every one of the characters in this book was amazing (I wanted to be friends with all of them and I was almost crying when the book ended because I was going to miss all the characters). I don't want to spoil anything about who Eliza ends up with, but this love triangle was one of the best ones that I have read - it was spicy and I knew who I wanted Eliza to end up with at the end of the book.

I wanted to love this book, but I have such a hard time with love triangles and feeling that secondhand hurt/embarrassment/disappointment is just too much for a cute rom-com/love story. I am all for a love triangle, but I hate seeing people get hurt for the "I just needed to use you to find out what I wanted."

I did like the element of being on a ship, the shenanigan's were great and I loved the actual love/self discovery dynamic, so if love triangles and all that comes with them don't bother you, this book is totally something I would recommend.

Wow-ee was this saucy! I’ve never wanted to be on a ship as an employee so much in my life!
I absolutely loved following the characters in this story, it was so fun and silly. All the naughty antics that adults get up to behind the scenes and how salacious they can be!
If I ever went in a cruise and I had this team every evening, I don’t think I’d want to leave!

I think even though I enjoyed this, the story itself was a bit long. Some of the drama unnecessary and Eliza I found a bit tedious at points. I understand she had a very horrible previous relationship but I personally didn’t enjoy the jumping to conclusions or the miscommunication trope.
The love triangle I also found didn’t work that well for me, Oscar was always going to be the choice and I think it would have worked if Tom was just super protective of Eliza instead of in love with her.
That being said, I loved how their friendship unfolded and they eventually got over their bumps.
The spice was so good, I really enjoyed Oscar and Eliza’s dynamics, their chemistry was delicious and I really loved the ‘finding’ out of the kinks.
Overall this was fun, sexy and heart warming. I would recommend for a cute little palette cleanser and a low angst read.

"More Than Shipmates" by Philippa Young is a contemporary romance novel with a focus on self-discovery and navigating love in a unique setting. The story follows the journey of Eliza Chapman, a woman who has struggled to find her footing in various aspects of life. She gets the opportunity to work as an entertainment host on a Caribbean cruise, hoping for a fresh start and a chance to distance herself from past mistakes.

The premise of the story holds promise, offering a mix of romance and comedy set in an exciting backdrop. The concept of a cruise ship as the setting is engaging, and the potential for tension-filled, steamy encounters is clear.

However, the execution of the plot falls somewhat short. The characters and their development feel somewhat one-dimensional, making it difficult to fully invest in their relationships and personal growth. Eliza's journey toward self-improvement is a central theme, but it doesn't always come across as convincing or deeply explored.

The romantic aspects of the story have their moments, but they often feel formulaic and predictable. Eliza's resolve to avoid romantic entanglements while working on the cruise is a common trope in romance novels, and the introduction of two potential love interests, Tom and Oscar, follows a well-trodden path.

While "More Than Shipmates" has its entertaining moments and captures the allure of a cruise ship setting, it doesn't quite break new ground in the romance genre. The story may appeal to readers looking for a light and easy read with a touch of steamy romance, but those seeking deeper character development and a more unique narrative may find it lacking.

For a debut novel I really enjoyed this book and would defiantly look to pick up other books by this author.

I really enjoyed that the book has a usual setting. As someone who reads a lot of book (over 250 a year ) I don’t ever remember reading one set on a cruise ship before.

Eliza our FMC is just trying to escape her life , she’s feels like a failure and thinks that is how everyone sees her so when she’s offered the opportunity to work on the Cruiseship she jumps at the chance as it means she can reinvent herself and be who she wants to be (she soon realises she doesn’t know who she wants to be )

We then have 2 love internet in Oscar and Tom , now I will say love triangles are not my Genre of choice but I didn’t feel like this was a full love triangle , yes she has to choose between 2 men but it doesn’t contain all the angst you would normally expect from this Genre.

The book has 3 way POV which I actually enjoyed but think it’s always worth mentioning as I know it’s not for everyone.

This book is a Rom com with enough funny scenes to have to laughing and enough spice to keep you interested.

Overall a lovely pallet cleanser for the more dark romances / suspense thrillers I would normally read.

Well done Phillips Young a great debut novel

Thank you Summer Stars Publishing Limited, NetGalley, and a Phillippa Young for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was excited to read a cruise ship romance because I had never read anything like it before, but it unfortunately fell flat for me. I was having a hard time continuing to get through it because the plot was very confusing at times. I liked the fun games the crew would play together, but the in between with Eliza going back and forth the two men in the book. Her back and forth made her seem really immature which didn’t allow me to feel like I could relate to her in anyway. Unfortunately I just feel like this one missed the mark for me.

Such a fun read! I loved the tension and the forced proximity in a cruise ship setting. I especially loved the work where you love aspect. The characters were interesting and the spice was on point. I ended up buying a hard copy!

Overall, I liked this book and I will read another Philippa Young book if I have the chance. My main point of discontent was that this book was longer than it needed to be! I wouldn’t say it was dragging, but changes based on the below points could make this a much quicker read.

- For someone who isn’t really into love triangles, I think this was well done enough, with just enough suspense in the beginning. And it was kind of nice to hear the perspective of third person. However, I’m not sure what it really added Eliza’s journey. After she got over Tom in the beginning, it was sort of just like ok, what was was the point if that? I think we could’ve had a book with 150 less pages and still enough tension, angst, growth, drama with only one MMC! Or turned into a why choose if you really wanted Tom to be included.
- The cruise boat setting was so interesting! Kind of like camp counselors after dark, it gets spicy! One thing I can’t relate to is the whole theatre kid thing though, so I didn’t really connect with the songs/performances
- I was very confused in the beginning when the book was describing Eliza’s home life and whatever incident led to her losing friends. It made it seem SO dramatic for no reason and tbh I didn’t really care about what happened before

Giving this like a 3.5, but rounding up to 4 stars!
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

To start off, I'm not the biggest fan of love triangles. However, I felt like this was going to be an interesting concept to read since the main character and two love interests were going to be in forced proximity while working on a cruise ship, so I decided to give it a chance. The book was definitely fun to read in the beginning, but it is not as plot heavy as I would've liked. This may be an unpopular opinion because I can see a lot of people enjoying this book as even I really enjoyed the first half. I caught myself just wanting to finish the second half quickly instead of adding another DNF. This is one of those books you might have to read for yourself and see if you like it!

WOW! I was very pleased with this! Not at all what I expected especially when it came to those coworker games and the spice is ON POINT! at first I was team Tom, then I was team Oscar, then back again to Tom and back again to Oscar and then wanted both! whew! Such a fun ride!

I learned something about myself while reading this book…and it’s that I’m not really into the “other man” sort of drama. That isn’t to say that it wasn’t well done — I particularly enjoyed getting all 3 perspectives in the love triangle, and the premise of being on a cruise ship is super super fun. Just, the whole “who will she choose” drama is not my cup of tea. I can definitely see where this would be appealing to people who are into that sort of thing, though! Young gave each of the characters great depth, and I enjoyed the length of the novel. It felt “fluffy” without it being too long, if that makes sense. I enjoyed the fluff here, whereas with other novels sometimes fluff annoys me. The aspect of personal growth for Eliza, while also focusing on the romance aspect is very well balanced, and I appreciated the dynamic characterization. This is a lovely debut, and I am very glad I got a chance to read an ARC of it!

More Than Shipmates by: Philipa Young
Read if you love:
- Below Deck
- Workplace Romances
- Forced Proximity
- Love Triangles

RUN, DONT WALK TO KINDLE UNLIMITED AND DOWNLOAD THIS IMMEDIATELY (or get the paperback if you read physically)!!! The perfect spicy summer vacation beach read!

Special thanks to netgalley and the author Phillipa for the free ARC in return for my honest review!

This book was a solid 4.5 star read, for me.

I loved every single piece of it. It was such a fun read and I was chomping at the bit to finish it.

This kind of made me want to get a job on a cruise ship. Especially if life at sea is anything like it was described.

The tension between the characters, the friendships, the self discovery. It really had it all, and I lapped up every bit of it.

I saw in the back there will be another book to follow and I’m absolutely ecstatic and looking forward to snatching that up as well.

While I found the intial idea interesting, I found the story to be a little slow. I found the characters to be a little unrealistic in the way they behaved sometimes, very selfish and immature. However, if you watch some of those reality shows about being on a boat, maybe it's not THAT unrealistic.

I wasn't a big fan of the changing POV. I didn't feel that I needed to see what was happening from the two mmc's POV because it was pretty obvious what their feelings were from the fmc POV.

Overall, this wasn't the one for me, but maybe it will appeal to people who want just a quick read basically about honry teenagers (not really teens, but they act like it) on a boat.

Thank you so much Net Galley for the eARC!

This book was so fun start to finish! I can’t believe it hasn’t gone viral yet! I was impressed by the writing and hoping she writes more!