Whilst I finished this book, it wasn't one I would say I loved. I enjoyed it and it was light enough for me to read on a sunny vacation.

The main characters were hard to engage with, their connection was inconsistent and their chemistry . The female main character was very hot and cold, particularly towards her love interest, and whilst some could argue that fed into an enemies-to-lovers relationship, it just didn't feel justified or believable. It actually made it harder to like her character as it came across as mean and judgemental.

The male love interest just seemed to like her immediately and his POV was slightly confusing considering how he was being treated. I would've like more from his perspective, about his background. In particular more about his family and the random bombshell that was dropped and then just resolved by the epilogue...

There is some positives, such as the location, yacht and cooking aspect of the book was all well fleshed-out. I also think the relationships between Sophia and Petra and the celebrity guests felt the most genuine. I look forward to reading more from Ada Barumé as she continues her writing career :)

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book, I truly appreciate it. However, I had a tough time getting into the novel, and couldn't connect with the characters.

Mmmm I’m not sure what to say. I had a fun time but I didn’t love it. The cover of the book is misleading. I thought they had fallen overboard and floating in the sea but I was definitely wrong. The only reason I decided to continue reading was because I’ve seen the show Below Deck, which I loved, and this was a book version of it.

This is a close proximity and coworkers trope since they both work on the yacht. 🛥️

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the arc! While I was reading this I was so taken back by how much I loved this story as well as the character, at times I felt Jack and Sophia’s chemistry to be so frustrating because as the reader we could clearly see how they were just meant to be however obviously this wasn’t as clear to them as it was us! This story was so much fun and I truly had such an amazing time reading this and getting into the story, I have never loved a unique story more. I’m a huge fan of below deck so this to me was an absolute dream to read! I truly cannot wait to see what else the author does as I feel she really has a way of making a strong female character as well as the most sweet side characters!

Love Overboard is a glamorous enemy to lovers, and forbidden romance tropes played out in the forced proximity setting of a luxury yacht. The story focuses on Chef Sophia and First Officer Jack, who seem more repelled than attracted to each other initially. Both have issues and backstories that affect their interaction, and there is also a non-fraternisation policy on board, which further complicates their fledgling relationship. The other crew members and guests featured have their stories, which could be spin-offs. It's aimed at a new adult audience and makes a lighthearted holiday read.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

This was a fun read with some good moments, but overall, I felt like it slightly missed the mark. I think the characters fell a bit flat and the connection didn't feel very strong. I really enjoyed the setting and I think the first half of the book did a great job of establishing the characters and their relationships with each other, but it didn't quite stick the landing for me.

did not really enjoy. this book as much as i hoped which is a shame but i could not finish it it put me in sort of a slump it had a lot of appealing factors i just could not get into it unfortunately

Again, another book I was disappointed by. I think this was just really not for me. I didn’t like either of the main characters, particularly the main female character. She started out as a bit of a “I’m not like other girls” but then just turned into a toxic person in general. She was selfish and mean quite a lot of the time. I felt like she didn’t really have much of a personality other than being mean to the love interest.

I didn’t see or feel any connection between the main two characters. I didn’t buy that they were in love or that they even liked each other. The male love interest didn’t have any personality either, he just felt a bit like a verbal punching bag for the female character and being a “bad boy”. I will say I liked the drama in this and it reminded me a bit of below deck. I also really liked Petra and Stuart they were the only characters I liked.

Overall, like I said at the start, this book was just not for me. I didn’t like the main two characters and I didn’t feel like they had any connection and it felt very insane-lovey for me which I hate. Overall, I am giving this 2 stars…

Sophia has been trying to make her way in a Michelin Star restaurant. She has now changed course, and became a private chef on a 154 foot luxury yacht. Sophia is feisty and self confident in her kitchen, then she meets Jack the first officer of the yacht and they could not be more different. Their first encounter is a disaster. Sophia and Jack make a pact that they will stir clear of one another. With the yacht being 154 feet, that is still to small for these two.
I enjoyed the first half of the book, you could really feel that enemies to lovers factor. There were some spots that still dragged for me throughout. The writing felt a bit all over the place at times, but overall a good read.

I liked the idea of setting the story aboard a luxury yacht, as a lover of the show ‘Below Deck’ and the relationships which happen there too, I could really imagine how the close proximity really increased the tension between the two of them to the point it became unbearable. Unfortunately, the execution could use some refinement.

I was so unbelievably disappointed by this. For the first 50% I was sold. I thought it'd be a 3, maybe a 3.5 star read. I enjoyed the enemies to lovers trope, I loved the setting and I was so interested in the yachting aspect of the plot. Taking these things into consideration, I was willing to overlook the oddly timed flashbacks and clunky dialogue.

But when the author randomly switched to Jack's perspective that's where it all started to go downhill. Having three random chapters be in the MMC's point of view to get insight into his head is lazy writing. To be clear, after those few chapters, you never get his pov again. All his perspective does is boringly recount the entire events of the novel so far and proceed to info dump the hell out of us.

This was a simple, fun, easy and quick read. The perfect type of book for your holiday, beach, pool kind of read. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Sofia is a British chef who's quit her job in London because of a one night stand with a colleague and is now embarking on a new job in Italy as a chef on a private yacht charter. Here she meets Jack, an American, who has been working on private yachts for the past decade and finally made it to First Officer. But Captain Mary has a rule that means no relationships between staff.

When Sofia and Jack first encounter one another, it's at a bar the night before they're due to be on the yacht, so they don't realise they're colleagues. Jack is struck by Sofia immediately but Sofia isn't so sure about Jack and pretty much pegs him as an overconfident, American playboy. She's shocked and little embarrassed when she meets him onboard the next day but he's rather aloof towards her which puts her on the backfoot slightly.

The two of them are very hot and cold with one another until one night they sleep together and after Jack wakes up and Sofia is gone, he goes looking for her. But he runs into the Captain and blurts out what happened, apologising and telling Mary that it was a one night thing and it didn't mean anything. Of course, Sofia overhears all of this and is incredibly hurt by what she hears. As the reader, we know that's not how Jack feels as we get a couple of chapters from Jack's point on view after they sleep together. But it seems once again, two grown ass adults cannot communicate with each other at all.

I didn't particularly like Sofia as a character, she was very self-involved and even though she said she wanted to make friends with the people onboard, she wasn't really that concerned with the lives and feelings of anyone else around her. When she finds out that Jack got Patricio a job on the boat, but he was told not to tell anyone, she immediately thinks that he was told not to tell her specifically and she becomes fixated on this and what it could possibly mean.

Overall this book was ok, the writing was ok and the story and the characters were ok but there was no real depth to the characters or the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

2.5 stars. It’s a cute read, didn’t love it, some points irritated me. Had to force myself to finish it it started to lose my attention about 85% in the book.

thank you so much netgalley for the e arc of this book, unfortunately I did have to dnf this book. I was really looking to read but I just couldn't get into it

Sophia and Jack are both working on board a boat, but their first meeting was not the best. How will they cope working together? I liked how it had both points of view, although mainly from Sophia's.

I'll be honest it was a bit chaotic reading this as everything was all over the place and didn't really flow consistently but it was still a cute read.

Sophia and Jack clash from the moment they meet in a little bar in Italy, so finding out they'll be working together in a chartered yacht isn't what Sophia was expecting. But she's taken the plunge and left her promising job at a Michelin-starred restaurant to explore a more exciting life at sea and she's not willing to let the handsome flirt get in her way. But forced proximity and honest chats lead both to realize that there's more to each other than they'd first judged and these enemies might just make better lovers.

It's a fun and stress-free read that manages to keep things light even when touching on sad topics. I loved how expertly Barumé handled the enemies-to-lovers aspect while showing clearly why Sophie was deadset on not letting Jack get to her while a couple of chapters from Jack's POV were all about how he was falling for her. It's a nice little balance to the things Sophia thinks are going through Jack's mind.
There's also the found family element of a group of mostly strangers coming together to work through all the challenges that being staff in a chartered yacht can create, both with the requests of the clients and the tight quarters. There are subplots for almost every single character and it makes getting to know them and seeing them change over the course of the story super satisfying. It added an extra bit of emotion and distance separate from the romantic piece that rounded out the overall feel of the book.

Overall, it's a solid romance set in an unusual place that gives the author a chance to have fun with the characters. It feels a bit like a palette cleanser after some heavy reads. A light and fun summer read.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the romantic read!

This was too stinkin' cute! I loved reading "Love Overboard" by Ada Barumé. It's an absolute delight for fans of enemies-to-lovers romances and sea-bound adventures. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Amalfi Coast, the story follows fiery chef Sophia and uptight first officer Jack as they navigate their tumultuous relationship aboard a luxury yacht. Their initial clashes—complete with a soggy first officer and a strawberry skirmish—set the stage for a season of hilarious and heartfelt interactions. When they’re forced to team up during a crisis, their animosity begins to ebb, revealing surprising commonalities and undeniable chemistry. With witty banter, picturesque settings, and a dash of drama, "Love Overboard" is a perfect summer read that reminds us that even the rockiest seas can lead to the sweetest destinations. 🌊❤️📖

Love Overboard by Ada Barumé is such a wonderful romance debut.
This is a really fun read, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I loved the chemistry between the characters.
I adored the writing and the setting was just amazing.

Thank You NetGalley and Avon for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!