Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-second chance vibes
-best friends to estranged to lovers
-forced proximity
-former bandmates
-i sleep better with you
-mutual pining

Don't make me pick but this might be my favorite Alicia Thompson book. The nods to emo bands I grew up with, and just the clear passion for how much music can mean to people. Two people who aren't where they wanted to be in life, and having been apart for a long time, but suddenly forced together on a reunion cruise. This had the right amount of delicious angst of two people into each other and struggling to fight those feelings.

I really can't say enough good things about this book. The delicious sexual tension, the messiness of a band getting back together, and of trusting in yourself and taking what you want in life, that you do deserve good things. Alicia just writes the most relatable characters who have been hurt by the world, maybe even dissapointed in themselves and just watching them grow and accept love. One of the many reasons she is one of my all time favorite writers. Don't sleep on this book

“Never Been Shipped” by Alicia Thompson is a charming, heartfelt romance that hits me in all the right places.

Micah, a former band member, is back on stage for a reunion cruise, trying to keep her heart out of the mix. But when she reconnects with John, her former best friend (and unspoken love interest), her emotions for him become impossible to ignore.

The story was beautiful as it explores second chances, friendship, and angsty love, all set against the backdrop of a music-filled reunion and rock bands. Think of Daisy Jones and the six in another font. I believe this by far is the best and sexiest story written by Alicia Thompson that is a must read for all.

Also have to mention that the Dedication page had me cracking up.

2025 seems to be the year of musician/singer romances and I am eating it up.

The tension, unresolved feelings, longing was also so so so good. I love second chance romances and this ate. I also love how unique the setting is! After reading this book I am longing to go on a cruise!

Literally everything about this book was amazing. I would give it 6 stars if I could.

Thank you Berkley publishing & NetGalley for a copy of this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I had such high hopes but unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. I found that the pacing was extremely slow and the characters had zero depth. I had a really hard time caring at all for any of the characters which made it really hard for me to want to pick the book up. I had to dnf at 30%.

Alicia Thompson has slowly but surely become a must read author for me. Living in Thompson's world and revisiting characters from With Love from Cold World, is akin to a warm hug. Without diving into the plot (because I know that others will expand on this more), I love how we read John's yearning and love for Micah. I love how Thompson teed up the Micah and John relationship in With Love from Cold World. I'm a big fan of second chance romances. While friends to lovers romances are pretty tricky to execute, I think that Thompson hit this friends to lovers romance out of the park. I love the nostalgia infused into this text--examples include snippets from John and Micah's teenage years. Sigh, this was just such a good book.

I'm so grateful that Thompson shares her voice with the world. I'm ready to read many more by her, as she is an autobuy author for me now.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with an ARC of Alicia Thompson's Never Been Shipped.

UGHHHHHH. Alicia Thompson is a must-buy author for me. I have loved every one of her romances that I've read. My favorite thing about this one was the tattoos. I love it when characters get something about the other main character, and it's discovered in moments of intimacy. Yeah, Micah and John could've communicated better, but I loveeeeeed it. Love is hard and fearing what could happen during love is so real!!! Praise Alicia Thompson

Alicia Thompson’s Never Been Shipped is a swoon-worthy, music-infused romance that strikes all the right chords. When former bandmates Micah and John reunite for one last performance on a cruise, old tensions, unresolved feelings, and a second chance at love take center stage. Thompson masterfully blends humor, longing, and the electric pull of past and present, crafting a love story that feels both nostalgic and exhilarating. With a vibrant setting, undeniable chemistry, and plenty of behind-the-music drama, this novel is perfect for fans of slow-burn romances and second chances that feel like destiny.

This is my second Alicia Thompson book and she did not disappoint! This was a blast. The characters were so much fun to read, and the VIBES of the early 00’s band made this book FANTASTIC! I will definitely keep reading Alicia Thompson books.

4.5/5 thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley for this ARC!

Oh my god you GUYS

I wish I hadn’t burned through this so fast because it was so good and I already miss them 😭😭😭😭 I loved John so fucking much…why is a cartoon man so HOT??????

This MMC has everything: very hot, plays guitar, is very good in the sack, very considerate, is a total simp!!! Says things like “you have no idea how long I’ve wanted you” GOD SAVE ME this man is EVERYTHING

The banter, spice, and emotional development was so good in this one. Incredible execution of childhood-friends-to-lovers and rockstar romance. Dear lord this one SLAPPED

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for this ARC!
What can I say? This was a trip down nostalgia lane, with a side of 2000's, Midwest Emo perfection.
I love a childhood friends to lovers story and this hit it out of the park. I enjoyed the forced proximity of being stuck on a cruise and the 'will they, won't they" aspect of the story.
I did feel like the middle dragged a bit (just get to the kissing already!), but otherwise, this was a fun, introspective, rock star love story that spanned decades and covered some tough material.
If I hadn't just taken a cruise last year, this book would have had me itching to get on one STAT!
Will definitely be singing this book's praises all year :)

Thank you for this e-arc! Micah has been avoiding her past for a decade, but once it comes back to her with an opportunity she can't turn down, she has to face the band members she left behind. One of these past band members was her childhood best friend. This "has been" band can will be doing a reunion concert on a cruise. Once on board, Micah and her estranged best friend, John, do their best to move past her betrayal. This book was written in the third POV, giving you an understanding of Micah and John's feelings. I am a sucker for forced proximity and second chance. The author did a good job of making the friends and lovers feel not cringeworthy, which is essential to me. The romance was a slow burn, in my opinion. I wanted Micah and John to talk about their issues right away. I think the author wanted these two characters to have difficulty communicating their feelings, but I felt like if they just talked, everything would be fixed! So, if there were something I would want to change in the book, it would be the miscommunication. I did enjoy the band's dynamic and banter! Thank you again for letting me read this in advance.

this wasn't a flop but I stg there were so many nonsensical things bogging down the story

✰ 3.5 stars, what kept it afloat was the fact that I'm a sucker for childhood friends to lovers and romances about musicians

thank you to Berkley for the ebook arc in exchange for an honest review

platform: netgalley ebook arc

My first by Alicia Thompson, but definitely not my last! The characters were well developed and I felt like I could get inside their heads/hearts. As fan of pop punk and emo bands back in the '00s, this was a full on nostalgia fest. What I appreciated the most about this story was how niche and yet universal the story line was. The characters were relatable, their relationships with each other, and how they might have spent a decade apart. I loved the little insider jokes (the Offspring song title battle! The OC and Supernatural references!) that felt as though they were written for me. Let's give more stories like this a chance.

First off, the cover for this book is absolutely gorgeous, I cant wait to own this! I read Love in the Time of Serial Killers in 2022 and really enjoyed that. I thought Thompson's writing style was really good and the way the story had an overall melancholy feel really appealed to me. So, when I picked this book, I expected to like it, but I really ended up enjoying it far more than I thought. This book hooks you in from the very beginning and I'll even go as far as to say from the dedication, because it made me laugh out loud and I wanted to continue straight away and once I started, I couldn't put the book down. (Dedication: if this book flops istg). The main characters were very likeable and relatable to me (especially the FMC), and they had great chemistry and tension between each other. I also really really enjoyed the setting, I thought it was a very fun and fresh take setting a romance book on a cruise ship.

This book is definitely for the second chance girls, because it was done right here. I'm not the biggest fan of the trope, but I think Thompson executed it in a that didn't bother me and therefore I really loved the romance between our main characters. I'd definitely recommend you check this book out when it releases. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to 'Berkley Publishing Group' for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book was such a perfect ice cream sundae mix of everything I like. A certain Pop punk band, the ship to end all ships, slow burn catching fire, and a freaky dash of Elvis Presley. Ugh! You couldn't write a better book, really.
I also made a playlist of her book playlist on YouTube to play out loud while I was reading this, and Alicia has excellent music taste. Do yourself a favor, add to TBR, preorder, read and enjoy!

There were many lines in this book that were CHEF'S KISS but I don't want to spoil it. :)

John is the definition of Doberman boyfriend!! He’s looks all dark with his black shirts but once you get to know him he’s goofy and lighthearted . Micah is a recluse honestly but once the story progresses and you get to know her a little better you realize she’s so insecure because she’s never truly had it easy!! She’s waiting for the other shoe to drop, honestly this books was good ! Wasn’t my favorite by Alicia Thompson but it was good.

I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this book, I had high hopes and was pretty stoked when I got the arc but I fear it was just alright. Disclaimer, I’m not a huge second chance romance girlie but I felt like this was almost that feeling with none of the fun of having been an established couple (though, I liked Micah and John and their relationship!).

I also felt like the most glaring issue was that the band-breakup stuff fell a little flat for me towards the middle of the book and it just warped my experience almost immediately to realize there wasn’t going to be that much there. That being said, I really enjoyed reading it and thought the side characters were shockingly vibrant and made the reading experience that much more enjoyable so it wasn’t a total miss by any means.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for this arc to review!

This was cute. Has a lot of potential. Unfortunately the first half of the book really dragged for me. I struggled to keep going because I felt little to no chemistry between the characters. Then the second half picked up and I was vibing. It’s a good romance with an interesting premise, like I said I struggled at first but once it picked up I had a good time. I adore the cover!!!

📖 Book Review 📖 It’s been years since the hit band ElectricOh! played on stage together but a chance to get the band back together on a themed cruise brings the five members back, all grown up from their teenage days but still reeling from the breakup. Alicia Thompson gives readers the long-awaited moment we never knew we needed until Never Been Shipped came into our lives. Micah carries the guilt of breaking up the band to pursue a solo career and desperately wants to avoid being alone with her ex-boyfriend and former bandmate during this five-day cruise. But the silver lining is a hopeful chance to reconnect with John, the boy she grew up with and partnered with to create so many of their powerful songs. It’s nearly impossible to recall the last book where two characters had the spark jump off the pages like that of Micah and John. Never Been Shipped is an deliciously addictive read that can easily be devoured in one sitting because of the sheer chemistry of these two. Thompson brings the reader along on a heartfelt journey through their history, while simultaneously building the slow burn and anticipation of more than just a five-day voyage for Micah and John.

Such a fun, romantic ride! I love this author and enjoyed the aspects of friends to lover, especially in central Florida. The cruise was a fun setting, and the character dynamic was fitting.