This is the second book in the ‘Below Deck’ series and is promoted as a stand-alone. I guess you could read it on its own, but you would miss out on quite a bit by not starting with the first book.

There is a small summary at the beginning of the book, so that does help, but you would miss quite a bit of background information.

In the first book Eliza and Tom were the biggest friends and even something more for a little while. It seemed as if the writer wanted to be absolutely clear that Tom was over Eliza, by giving her almost no lines. I really missed the banter between these two friends!

The book is mostly in Tom’s point of view, which is nice, but I miss a bit of depth in Gemma as a character. I have the feeling I didn’t really get to know her.

I also couldn’t appreciate her way of getting back Tom’s attention. I think there would have been better ways.

Overall, I liked the book, but I guess I expected more out of it, after reading the first book!

This was my first Philippa Young book and it was good!
This was Megan and Tom's love story and I loved getting to know them better.
It wasn't the spiciest book I have read but I thought the book balanced spice and storyline.
There was a bit of mystery that I wasnt expecting but made me more interested to find out more details!
Overall a great book! Cant wait to see whats next from Philippa!

2.5/5 ⭐️s
🌶️🌶️ - medium spice with a little taboo

LOVES:
- When Tom turns on his “well-intentioned weaponized incompetence” 😂
- Jack is like the best friend a guy could ever have. I really like him.
- Tom handles her inexperience very well throughout
- It was interesting and pretty depressing to get major insight into Gemma’s time on the reality dating show. It made me extremely angry for her and made me rethink any reality tv I’ve ever watched. It just went on too long.
- The sharing was surprising, but also kind of worked actually… 🔥
- The mention of The Sims 💚
- The way everything with the show wrapped up was extremely satisfying. That was very well done.

“Always be honest, even if it’s ugly.”

CRITIQUES:
- The name thing confused me… I feel like that was handled a little clumsily
- The ups and downs of their relationship is a major roller coaster ride 🎢 too much for me
- His reaction to finding out her secret is garbage. Seriously, I don’t think he would just believe all the BS. 😑
- There were a couple times when the transition to a new chapter felt disjointed from what had just been happening

The way the whole viral fame thing spirals is tragic and the fact that people would be so cruel, not just in comments, but in person is bonkers to me. Probably too realistic.

There were enough things that bothered me in this story that the rating ended up pretty low, but there were a lot of things I appreciated too. I think some people might really like this one, it just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to @netgalley for eARC 💝

Cruises, secret identities, and forbidden flings…..oh my!

More Than Clickbait is a laugh-out-loud, steamy rom-com that takes the classic “brother’s best friend” trope and adds a dash of secret identity, a splash of reality TV drama, and a whole lot of shipboard shenanigans.

Gemma Harvey is a health-and-fitness influencer in hiding, trying to escape a disastrous dating show debacle.

Her plan? Work under the radar on a cruise ship with her brother. Reality? She’s a magnet for chaos, especially when it comes to Tom Parks, a cocky, charming comedian who just so happens to be her brother’s girlfriend’s best friend. (Yes, it’s complicated. But in the best way.)

Tom’s viral stand-up fame is floundering, and Gemma, despite her “I’m just here to blend in” attitude, is exactly the muse he didn’t know he needed.

Sparks fly. Secrets are kept. And the line between professional success and personal disaster gets delightfully blurry.

💡 Why I Loved It:
* The banter is sizzling. Tom and Gemma’s back-and-forth is equal parts flirty and hilarious.
* The cruise ship setting is pure rom-com gold: karaoke nights, fancy dinners, and sneaky rendezvous on deck.
* Steamy? Oh yes. But it’s also packed with heart, as Gemma and Tom navigate self-discovery, ambition, and what it means to be authentic—on and offline.
* Brother’s best friend trope + secret romance = maximum delicious tension.

Gemma’s journey from reality TV burnout to reclaiming her sense of self is relatable, while Tom’s struggle to balance viral fame with real-life vulnerability will have you rooting for him. Together, they’re irresistible.

If you love rom-coms with forbidden love, laugh-out-loud moments, and a side of steamy romance, More Than Clickbait is your next binge-read.

Let’s start by saying it’s highly recommended to read More Than Shipmates first to better understand the characters (though the author does provide a fantastic recap at the beginning). More Than a Clickbait is a sweet (and slightly spicy) romcom perfect for fans of insta-love/insta-lust and forbidden love. Tom and Megan show incredible growth, and their chemistry is amazing right from the start. For me, it’s 4.5 stars—mainly because I wanted more banter—but still an absolute must-read!

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Summer Stars Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After really enjoying More Than Shipmates (which I gave 4.25 stars), I was excited to read this one—and it didn’t disappoint!

Philippa Young has a great way of making you feel the characters' emotions. I really felt for Gemma, especially with everything she went through in the story.

The friendships and relationships between the characters on the ship are also a highlight. I loved how supportive they all were of each other.

There was one scene (around 80% through, I think) with Gemma, Jack, and Teigan that I didn’t enjoy—it was a bit too much for me, as I'm not a fan of three-person sexual experiences.

The relationship between Tom and Gemma, though, was so sweet and healthy. Tom’s support for Gemma is something many people would dream of in a partner. I really loved Tom in the first book, so it was great to see him get his happy ending. I did wish there was more about his friendship with Eliza, though.

After the ending, I’d love to see a book focused on Jack! Overall, this was a great read, and I’ll definitely be picking up more books by Philippa Young. Her writing style is exactly my kind of thing!

YES. I absolutely loved this one! The first one had me very annoyed and a little uncomfortable in the beginning and then I started to love it. This one I loved right off the bat and even liked the taboo kinky things in this one so much more. I loved this storyline for Gemma. I have always wanted to be on reality tv growing up and applied ALL THE TIME. Once I started getting older I saw the downsides of it just from people on the internet and how your privacy is stripped away. So not form any experience I felt like this book perfectly show reality tv. Tom, I loved finally getting his happy ending and with someone that didn’t play with his feelings. He stepped up in the wanting to be a better guy, wanted to be a good boyfriend to someone and I loved that he listened to Jack.

This book was a perfect brothers friend meets sister workplace romance! Im hoping we get and Jack book 3???????????????

This was cute and I loved the banter. It was super dramatic and would be a good CW show or Netflix movie. The spice was SO GOOD. I liked that he fell first and wasn't afraid to admit his feelings for her. I didn't read the first book, so read this as a stand alone and wasn't lost at all. I will probably go back and read the first one just for funsies, but all in all I thought this was a great entertaining read. A good beach read or palate cleanser if you're a mood reader! Will definitely read more by this author.

I think I like this one more than the first one. Tom has really grown as a character and finally felt like a real adult.

Gemma was a nice addition to the cast. I really felt for her and her backstory.

Also, JACK. After this book I really want to be Sadie. Like that man is FINE.

The plot line and characters were great. There are two points of view, and Tom's perspective gives us more. Until we learn everything, Megan's backstory is only hinted at. This is quite hot, despite the cover's adorable rom-com meanings. I liked with how the friendship developed and that Meghan made friends with employees. I had a great time reading this book. I truly enjoy this behind-the-scenes glimpse into cruise life, and I like the idea behind this series. I hope the third book is about Jack!

Thank you to Summer Stars Publishing & Netgalley for this e-ARC.

I haven’t read book 1, so can honestly say that this book works well as a standalone! This was a fun little spicy book. I’m personally not a huge fan of cruises but this was fun to read!

Gemma + Tom

-secret identity
-brothers coworker
-workplace romance
-forced proximity
-he’s american x she’s british

im so happy tom got his girl & who it happened to be 😏😏 & those scenes with jack?? dammmnnnn! definitely hottt!

Philippa Young’s Below Deck series sure knows how to bring the spice, but the storytelling? Not quite as satisfying.

More Than Shipmates – 2 Stars
The smut? Hot. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ The characters? Well… Oscar is a gem, Tom is on a major personal growth journey, And Eliza…bless her, she’s begging for therapy. At a whopping 490 pages, this book feels like a marathon without a water station. There’s really no reason for it to be this long – I’ve seen epic fantasies wrap up faster. The ship life antics and laugh-out-loud chaos were on point, but let’s be real – I almost DNF’d at 30% because I was so overwhelmed by how much was left. The selfish, immature vibe from characters who share tight quarters for months on end made them seem anything but seaworthy. At least the sweet, HEA was satisfying after the marathon read. Eliza & Oscar 4ever 💙

More Than Clickbait – 2.5 Stars
Credit to Young for starting with a recap – more authors should do that! This book wastes no time, jumping right into, well…an actual orgy. The spice is alive and well here, too. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ The chemistry was real, the ship shenanigans in full swing, but please read More Than Shipmates first to understand Tom and his messy, messy backstory. Tom’s transformation from a self-proclaimed man-whore to “King of Consent” was impressive – he’s come a long way, folks. And let’s talk about Gemma (or is it Megan?)… I wanted MORE from her character - she felt so underdeveloped. But Jack? The absolute MVP, friend of the year, and the one who makes the book. Still, the pacing dragged, and it was longer than necessary for a romcom-style read. HEA, yes, but another long haul to get there.

Overall: Think reality TV – a binge-worthy, slightly chaotic train wreck you can’t look away from. Will I be back for Book 3 (Jack and Sadie, please)? Absolutely. The series is addictive, spicy, and packed with shenanigans, but it needs a serious edit.

Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

While I had high hopes for this book, it just didn’t do it for me. While the plot was decent, I found the writing style to be a bit choppy which took me out of the story often. I also just didn’t find myself connecting with the characters at all so it fell a little bit flat for me. I definitely think this author has potential. This specific story of hers, unfortunately, just wasn’t for me.

More Than Clickbait is the follow up to More than Shipmates - a steamy romance about Tom (from More than Shipmates) and health and fitness influencer Gemma. Who just happens to be Oscars sister.
Tom meets Gemma on their first night back on the boat, and in turn Gemma ends up helping Tom with his social media channels. Gemma has escaped to work onboard after a personal disaster on reality TV. They begin secretly hooking up and of course they catch feelings.

I went into this book blind - not having read the first book. I would highly recommend reading the first in this series to get some background on the characters.
I am not 100% sure if this book was it for me - I hadn't read an 'influencer steamy romance' before, but it just didn't click for me. The spice was there, and it was good, but overall I don't think the storyline was for me.

I love the idea of this book - following a crew of a cruise ship and the lives they lead. But when it comes to the romance between the two characters, it just didn't feel natural or developed enough. A little too "insta-love" for me. But it was a fun read and easy to get into as the plot developed and you learned more about the FMC's past.

Thanks so much to Philippa Young and Summer Stars Publishing. This was such a great quick read. I loved reading about Gemma and Tom’s story. Definitely has spice!!! Can’t wait for Young’s next book!

I found Phillipa Young a couple of months back and ordered myself Both books in the Below Deck series, the signed copies. Along with them I got some art and axtra goodies!

I read More Than Shipmates a few months ago and absolutely devoured it, I couldn’t actually get over it. Obviously I jumped into book 2 immediately afterwards. It can be read as a stadndalone but I highly suggest reading book 1 first.

I absolutely LOVE that this book is very MMC based, over FMC. It was a nice change seeing as nearly every book is FMC lead.

MMC - Tom, as rising comedy star, after a single clip of his goes viral. He is absolutely dreamy. I love that is was mostly his PoV and he was the lead in this book. I’m obsessed with Tom and I want him.

FMC - Gemma, an influencer in hiding after a bit of a problem when working in a reality show. She lacks personality. I like her don’t get me wrong, and this is clearly a portrayal of who she is, but I just didn’t click with her. I’m here for Tom, sorry babes.

Now lets gets to the good stuff, the spice. OH MY LORD. I cannot even express how hot and heavy this book is. It’s a hidden gem with all that naughty stuff you want… Young nailed it. Like, no faults. None. Give me all of it.

Anyway… To recap, great story, good characters, fantastic spice. What's not to like? Young’s writing is a brilliant as always and have zero complaints. I’ll be over here waiting for her next book to drop.

This is the second installment in the series and absolutely love reading this book. This book has my favourite tropes and workplace romance is always a treat to read.
The characters were amazing and the plotline was wonderful. I had a great time reading this book as the author has penned down everything brilliantly.

such a cute read! I am a huge fan of below deck so I knew I had to snag this! I love how you feel like you are actually on the boat with the characters! Gemma and Tom are so cute and I love their banter! I definitely recommend for any steamy rom com or below deck lover!