i wanna start with appreciating the author on starting her career with this marvellous novel!
this book was the first book i’ve ever read which is based on ocean and ships, and man now i wanna read more in this genre!
i found myself relating with eliza at almost all the parts of the books the loneliness she felt creeping, being a third wheel, being left out, seeing herself as a failure, i’ve felt it all,
eliza, babe, i love you, i get what you’re feeling, and to be honest people like us are better alone!
now, the book represented a workplace - love Triangle - romance, while i’ve read these tropes seperately, but never together, i had huge hopes. i’m satisfied to say that the hopes i had were accomplished,
i loved how oscar and tom were protective over her which is what she deserves truly.
and most importantly, i loved the crew! the talents showcasing and the friendship, i loved that so much.
hats off to you, can’t wait to read more of your work

I really enjoyed the back and forth during this book. The love triangle between the characters was expected and I am happy with the way it ended between them! I also love how their separate stories played out and how the characters grew during the story!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC to read in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this debut book by the author!! This is the kind of book you can easily read by the pool and have a few laughs at. It’s lighthearted, fun, and at the same time cozy in its own way. I loved and could relate to Eliza’s character so much.

This book was the perfect steamy read if you are a fan of below deck and love triangles!

I genuinely had a ton of fun reading and am interested to see how the second will play out!

Love triangles definitely are not my favorite trope but all in all, a very cute book 🤍

I loved this love triangle debut from Philippa Young.
Eliza is starting her first stint as an Entertainment Host on a Cruise Ship. On her first day she meets Tom, another newbie that she clicks with instantly and Oscar (Harvey) who she's meets whilst stripping in his cabin.
Hijinks ensue as cruise employment life involves a lot of fun and games (many of which are clothing optional).
Its a roller-coaster ride of which guy will be the one to fully capture her heart.
What's great about the story (other then the spicy-ness) is that we get PO from all 3 characters. I love the growth all of them have throughout the book whilst they deal with demons from their past.
Such a fun spicy romance and I can't wait to read the next one.

I LOVED this book! It introduced a new to me author I will continue to look out for :) I will be getting book 2 on kindle unlimited!
I loved how fun the characters were, the banter and humor kept me engaged the whole time. The spice was a pleasant bonus! I feel like I wish this was a "why choose" romance because I couldn't choose who I loved more, Oscar or Tom!

I don't really know how to write this review tbh.
I wanted to like this book so so bad but it just didn't want to cooperate.
I thought about DNFing at 25% but I really wanted to give it a chance.

Let's do a bullet point review for this one :
- The main characters were cute
- I liked the cruise setting ; though I think we could've done without the details for each activity
- This book was way too long ; there was too many details about things that didn't really further the plot + too many side characters
- It felt like the story was fast paced, but in reality, the plot moved so so, so slowly (if that makes sense?)
- It didn't feel like a real love triangle ; the conflits and resolutions were way too easy for me. I needed more drama and more pining
- Considering the Erotica label on NetGalley, I thought there would be way more spice

- POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT!!!!!
(I don't know if it's a me problem, but I feel like I was baited into thinking there would be sword crossing, and I kept reading in hopes it would turn poly until the very last page and it didn't and I was devastated)

END OF SPOILERS

In conclusion, this book wasn't for me considering the expectations I had of it. But it is still a cute and fun summer romance if you want to give it a go!

Thank you NetGalley, Summer Stars Publishing and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this ARC because my parents met and fell in love on cruise ships. I’ve grown up hearing the stories, and as I’ve gotten older I’ve heard more about the raunchier adventures that cruising brought along. This book showcased what they told me in every way, and the attachment I feel towards the characters is incredible. The flow of the story was effortless, and so intriguing to read as it took place over so many months. Each characters journey with themselves and their lives on the ship was fascinating and the SPICE!!!!!!! The spice was everythingggggg!! This book truly mixed fun and important life lessons in a way that was unique and so so pleasing to read. I’m also 100000% more sure that I need to go live out my cruise ship employee era ASAP!

More Than Shipmates" by Philippa Young is an entertaining escape set on a Caribbean cruise. The story follows Eliza Chapman, who takes a job as an entertainment host on a cruise ship and vows to avoid workplace romance. However, her plans are quickly derailed when she meets Tom and Oscar, leading to a charming love triangle.

Philippa Young does a fantastic job capturing the cruise ship atmosphere, making you feel like you’re right there with the characters. The romance is lighthearted and fun, with plenty of flirty moments and humor.

If you’re looking for a breezy, romantic read perfect for a summer day, "More Than Shipmates" is a great choice. It's a delightful mix of humor, romance, and self-discovery that will keep you hooked.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this amazing book. This review has also been posted on Goodreads and StoryGraph.

This was a fun, summer read! I loved the setting of a cruise ship! A modern day Love Boat, if you will! I enjoyed the found family, close proximity, and love triangle tropes! So glad there is another book in the series to continue the fun!

This book was just alright. Way too long in my opinion. The story was good but so much of the book was just fluff! Eliza was the worst! Also the love triangle bit was drawn out and not necessary. That being said I didn't hate the book and would read the 2nd one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s hard to put into words what I felt reading this book. There were lots of things I liked and then lots of things that rubbed me the wrong way. It had a strong start and I was really optimistic it would be fabulous. It ended up being only okay and partly because of how some of the conflicts were written.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

I had no idea what to expect going into this read, and I was not disappointed. I am normally not super interested in love triangles but this one was so entertaining and kept me on my toes. It was full of witty banter and funny moments that kept me engaged the whole time. The chemistry between all the characters was so well-written and I could not figure out who I wanted Eliza to end up with! I also really enjoyed three pov's. I love being able to see everyone's thoughts and this book did it so well. It was full of self-discovery and I've never been on a cruise but this book made me want to go on one ASAP. This book was well-written and every chapter kept me wanting to read more.
This was such a perfect rom-com and one that anyone on or off a cruise would enjoy reading!

More than Shipmates by Phillipa Young 🌟
⭐ Rating: 5 stars

👩‍🎤 Synopsis: Eliza Chapman joins a six-month Caribbean cruise as an entertainment host, determined to leave her past failures behind and avoid mixing work with romance. But cheeky American Tom and charming Brit Oscar make it hard to resist temptation, leading to a steamy love triangle on the high seas.

💖 Why You'll Love It:

Tropes: Love triangle, workplace romance, forced proximity, self-discovery
Characters: Eliza’s journey from insecurity to confidence is compelling. Tom’s golden retriever charm and Oscar’s reformed bad boy persona add depth.
Setting: The cruise ship backdrop adds excitement with fun games and thrilling escapades.
Romance: Sizzling chemistry, tension, and angst keep you hooked. The slow-burn romance and flirty banter are top-notch.
📖 Final Thoughts: "More than Shipmates" is a delightful romcom with a perfect blend of humor, romance, and self-discovery. Phillipa Young’s debut novel is a must-read for anyone who loves engaging love triangles and dynamic characters.

🔥 Heat Level: Steamy with plenty of spice.

🌟 Conclusion: An unputdownable, fun-filled romance set on a cruise ship. Highly recommend for romcom lovers!

📅 Release Date: June 1, 2024

#MoreThanShipmates #PhillipaYoung #Romcom #LoveTriangle #BookReview #Bookstagram #RomanceReads #CruiseShipRomance #MustRead

I really wanted to give this a higher rating because I enjoyed the first 2/3 of it. It had a fun setting and interesting characters.

That being said, the last 1/3 went on entirely too long. I never got when or why Tom stopped being interested in Eliza. He just… stopped. Oscar and Eliza had good chemistry but his motivations were weird. He kept saying he used to be wild so he can’t be with her but that makes it seem like he doesn’t have any control over his own actions. Just strange.

Mmmmmm. I'm disappointed.

I'm not sure why this is a 500-page long novel that couldn't even utilize the length to give a good development and establishment of the plot and characters.

Long story short, the book gave nothing.

This cruise ship love triangle stars Eliza, Tom, and Oscar as they figure out what they want and who they want. I loved everything about this story! It was mostly fairly accurate to how I’d imagine living on a cruise ship with a bunch of other hot singles goes. The banter kept me laughing and the steamy romances had me on the edge of my seat.

dnf-ed at 27% .

im deep in my Below Deck era so i thought this would be right up my alley! unfortunately the storyline gave Carnival cruise ship instead. to me there were too many characters to follow, the writing was a bit fast paced but the plot was slow (idk how else to describe this. it just seemed there was so much more written than what was happening). there was a lot of dialogue, but i did appreciate the multiple POVs. maybe i’ll try again in the future but for now, not too big of a fan to try & continue.

As a huge Below Deck fan I was super excited for this book. I had a fun time reading it but it was a little bit too long!

omg what a cute book I loved all the characters and i really wanted everyone to get along and fall in love. I love that show below deck and this just felt like a regular season of the show. I really liked joining Eliza on her search to understanding of her life and figuring out what she wants to do. It doesn't hurt that the romantic banter was very cute as well with a side of spice.