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!

As is evident by my list of books read, if there's a story set on a cruise ship or yacht - or even with one just on the cover - there's a good chance I've read it or have it on my kindle to read it soon. It's one of my top favorite settings to read about. So when I saw this cover of Love Overboard by Ada Barumé, I knew I had to pick it up!

I absolutely loved the setting of the luxury yacht as we followed the characters who worked aboard. If you're a fan of the TV show Below Deck, there's a good chance you'll find something in this story that appeals to you. It very much reads like an episode of Below Deck. It's also slightly chaotic and messy, just like the TV show.

My biggest issue with this story was the characters. I didn't care for them and I think that really impacted my reading of this book. I think if the characters were different, or even if these characters were developed more, I think this could have been a solid four or even maybe a five star read. There was a lot I did enjoy. It's just unfortunate that I didn't care for the characters because they're a huge part of the story.

I do love that one of the main characters we follow is the chef on board - I love reading books about chefs = and the descriptions of the food being served was making my mouth water the whole time I was reading. That was a absolutely a strong point of this story! And let's take a minute for the cover! It's so good!! Major props to the designer of this cover!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for providing the ARC.

I really wanted to like this book, but I didn't like the main characters or their storyline at all.

Sofia and Jack were dry and uninteresting as characters. They both felt very flat, and in some cases, just flat out mean and spiteful for no reason. I didn't feel like the author spent enough time developing them or their relationship to truly be enriching. There was a lot of undeserved contempt on both sides that really just turned me off to their coupling as a whole. And when the shift into the lovers side of this trope started to happen, it felt completely disingenuous.

Overall, not a bad book, just needs a bit more character development for me to really enjoy it.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed reading this book.

Sofia is a chef, and this is her first cruise, which she wants to go well. But, her arguments with officer Jack are making it difficult for her to succeed.

The cruise also has some stars on it which make the story fun. But it also had some parts that were serious, mainly with the family of Jack.

I recommend this book.

Sophia has arrived in Italy to take up a role as chef on a charter yacht. In a bar the night before she joins the crew she encounters an entitled American. To her horror the next morning he is first officer on the yacht. Can she navigate around this or is it going to be stormy waters the whole way. Entertaining and easy to read.

Great enemies to lovers book! It was the perfect holiday read for me. I loved the relationship between Sophia and jack, their banter was great! This book really reminded me of below deck, the reality show. If you’re looking for a fun, enemies to lovers book, I recommend you read Love Overboard.

1.45!

I wasn't even going to review this book because I didn't find many things to like but since I got an arc I have to review it.

I was initially supposed to read this book in may, I made it past 20% but it was not grabbing my attention so I just blamed it on my exams and said I'll read when I'm free and now when I got free and did read.....I wish had just stopped at 20% because it just deteriorated further. The writing didn't really stick out to me it was just words on a paper for me, I felt nothing towards it. Literally, nothing. I was intrigued when I read the first 20% but after that I just wanted it to end because there are so many other books that I could read than this.

The characters and the romance were soooo disappointing!!!!!! I was so excited to read it ebcause of that but it disappointed me so much! like I felt nothing towards the characters, they felt like strangers who you could not relate too and drama between Jacks and Sophia was just so damn boring and cliche, like we almost always get these type of conflicts and it was just something that'd cause a vein to pop up on your forehead and when the romance begin it was so mid because one, I already had no connection with the characters and when the romance happened with all the conflict it just made me roll my eyes. There were so many unnecessary things that the author tried to add for character development but unfortunately failed.

Think enemies to lovers set on a yacht. Sofia, a successful chef in London, takes a seasonal job on a luxury yacht and clashes with Jack, the first officer. The predictable yet enjoyable plot follows their evolving relationship. While Sofia's harshness is initially off-putting, understanding her background makes her more relatable. The side characters needed more development, and the middle chapters from Jack’s perspective felt unnecessary. Fans of the show Below Deck will enjoy this book’s drama and setting. Despite some flaws in character development and plot, it’s a binge-worthy, fun read.

Love overboard was charming and witty. Perfect beach read for my vacation on the Caribbean even though our book is set in the Amalfi coast. I was drawn to read this book because I love below deck and I got all the vibes I needed in Love Overboard. The characters were relatable and the banter was cute.

Thank you to Ada Baruné, Avon, and NetGalley for the eARC. I am so grateful to have received it.

I enjoyed the book. I enjoyed the different aspects of working on a yacht and the behind the scenes feeling. The writing of the characters was interesting and not my favorite. However, it still didn’t deter me from enjoying and rooting for everyone’s happiness.
The relationship of some characters didn’t seem well developed and was surprising, but that could be because our main character didn’t have the background knowledge and context.

I wish we had developed Patricio and Jacks relationship a bit more. I think it would have been helpful and potentially brought more drama.


The surprise of Jacks chapters was random and I felt unnecessary. I think that we should have had his thoughts throughout the book instead of in just that one moment. I don’t feel like we revealed anything we didn’t already suspect.

A great beach read for this summer!

Think low stakes, enemies to lovers set on a yacht. I call it low stakes because I found it predictable, but predictable in this case is not a bad thing. It’s like any romcom - you may know the ending but getting there is the fun part.

After achieving success in an upscale restaurant in London (and some workplace drama), Sofia decides that she needs a change. This comes in the form of taking a seasonal contract on a luxury yacht. There she meets Jack, the first officer who somehow always rubs Sofia the wrong way. To be honest, I thought Sofia could be too harsh at times, very good at letting any little thing get into her head even after Jack does double that to show that maybe he isn’t the bad guy. Once I knew more about her background though, it was easier to be a bit more forgiving.

The side characters could use a little more fleshing out, and I wouldn’t mind reading more about them. I thought the three chapters in the middle from Jack’s perspective wasn’t entirely necessary. We could’ve reached the same point without this seemingly random glimpse into his mind. It did lower the stakes though because the miscommunication was there for the characters but not for the reader.

Overall, a fun book, likeable characters, and beautiful setting. 3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4

Thanks NetGalley & Ada Barumé for this ARC!