I am absolutely, ferally obsessed with this book. I stg it will NOT FLOP!

Alicia Thompson was really in her bag with this one. If you follow her and read her newsletter, you just could tell this one was going to be good by her love and knowledge of music. It of course had her signature humor that we know and love, and great characters who you really want to root for! I was trying to savor every page, but I could not get enough so I tore through this in a day, and am now suffering a severe book hangover. I miss them already!

This story follows John, who we met in With Love, From Cold World, and Micah. John and Micah are childhood friends who started a band together when they were in high school, and drama and life ensued and they became estranged. Now, years later, they are reunited with each other and their former bandmates for a cruise where they will be performing.
I loved the premise of their reunion, all the secondary characters and their villains, and of course, really liked the cameos from Cold World.

This was absolutely friends to lovers at its peak and finest form.

What I loved loved loved the most about this story was the characterizations of our MCs. Their overall chemistry, to me, was incredible. I found myself really drawn to how they talked about their past, especially pre-band, and you could feel the palpable love they had for each other then. It made me feel nostalgic for my own lifelong friendships and what it means to know someone almost better than yourself. It felt very real and had me refelecting on that feeling of when you are together, it feels like no time has passed.
Sure, it is true that they have been estranged for only reasons they can justify, and they don’t know each other now, but I think there was a fine balance really well illustrated in this story of a comfortableness in knowing a person so wholly, and also the trickiness of reconciling past selves with who they have grown up into- it made them coming back together much more conflicting and emotional.
You get to go on this wonderfully complicated and emotional journey with them while they reconcile their past, and begin to figure out how they may fit into each other’s future.

John is so tenderhearted, with a bit of tongue in cheek wickedness- it is always the quiet ones!!! Micah has her armor up, and for good reason. I really related to Micah’s fatal flaw of fearing success. I felt like I was being called out in the back end of the book (don’t want to spoil) when she faces the music (hehe) of her situation and her views on success and how you can let yourself have nice things with no conditions or addendums or but what ifs. That very much hit home for me.

Micah and John had such palpable physical chemistry as well, and it made me alskdjfa;ksdjgasldkgj combust. This is definitely Alicia Thompson’s sexiest book to date and I found myself having to shut my kindle and squeal/kick my feet/blush multiple times throughout. ADORE!

Overall, this book was comforting in places, steamy in others, funny, nostalgic, and just fun. I really enjoyed myself while reading this and I highly, highly recommend you pick up a copy. It had me geekin out. LOVEEEE! I could talk more about it and really dive deep but I fear I can’t do that without spoilers. Read it!!!

My Never Been Shipped Playlist

- Full Time Cutie by Summertime Dropouts
- Velcro by Single File
- If Only They Knew by A Rocket To The Moon
- Thunder by Boys Like Girls
- Homecoming by Hey Monday
- I Must Be Dreaming by The Maine
- Kids in Love by Mayday Parade
- Like We Used To by A Rocket To The Moon
- Clairvoyant by The Story So Far
- Painting Flowers by All Time Low
- Risque by Cute is What We Aim For
- Mr. Right by A Rocket To The Moon
- Be There by Allstar Weekend
- Ultraviolet by The Stiff Dylans
- Dare4Distance by Never Shout Never!
- House of Memories by Panic! At The Disco
- Bruised and Scarred by Mayday Parade
- Stab My Back by All American Rejects
- i love you more than you will ever know by Never Shout Never!
- A Daydream Away by All Time Low

Thank you so so much to the publisher for the early copy. All opinions are my own!

‘With Love, from Cold World’ is probably my favorite Alicia Thompson book and I’ve been absolutely dying to read John’s story ever since she announced it was coming. Blessedly, it did not disappoint. (And I also want to go on another cruise now more than ever.)

Sweet, tender yearner John. I love him so much. He is the definition of a good, kind man. He is the antithesis of who raised him because he knew he deserved better and he has held fast in his determination to be better. He is deeply emotional and deeply understanding. He is not a pushover, he knows when to stand his ground and won’t hesitate to do exactly that. At the same time, he’s calm and measured and not reactionary. It’s a battle worth fighting if he’s pushing for or against something. And Micah has been worth the battle to him for as long as he’s known her, even when they haven’t spoken in years.

Micah is and has been a bit lost in the years since the band broke up. (One might say adrift. There are a lot of at-sea metaphors and ways this could go if I allowed myself.) Being in the same space as John is like resurfacing for her. I’m trying to resist too many nautical mentions at the risk of sounding like I’m joking, but he truly is like a lighthouse for her. His presence in her life guides her through the work she needs to do for herself. The way they reconnect is beautiful and begins to heal something in her. It’s also hot because John is a “quiet one” on the surface and it really is always the quiet ones…

Some quick notes before this gets too much longer. I love seeing Asa and Lauren living happily, and getting moments with all the housemates in the best little found family for John. Also, the epilogue brought me a lot of joy and feels so fitting for John and Micah’s story.

Thank you to Berkley via NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

There is something just so good about Alicia’s writing!! It’s so tender and soft and quiet and there is so much depth and every time I read her books it just feels so good! I also feel like whenever I come to write about how much I love these books I don’t know what to say!! Other than I simply loved every single second of this book. It was a second chance, but not in the traditional sense, but also in more ways than just one!! I loved Micah and John and seeing them find their way back to each other. The backdrop was fun!! And I loved the cast of characters!! I LOVED seeing Asa and Lauren and the whole Orlando crew!!

I love a man who YEARNS. And John really is that man!!! I loved them together. I loved that we got to see them through their memories, and see how close they were! I loved how nervous they both were to see each other?? And then how SEAMLESSLY they were able to slip back into their best friendship! And how quickly and easily it turned into more!!

The whole band aspect was fun! Not every part of course that was the point, right?? But seeing them reunited and having to face each other, and specifically for Micah seeing her face her fears surrounding the band was written so well!!

Thank you so much to Berkley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I love all of Alicia Thompson's books and I think this one is the most romantic one yet. A pining hero? Childhood friends to bandmates to lovers? Forced proximity on a cruise ship? Sign me up.

Thank you for the free book, Berkley Romance!

John and Micah are former members of a band that broke up under less than friendly circumstances. The band has been asked to reunite for a special reunion cruise, and neither of them feels particularly excited to see the other despite harboring secret feelings. They were friends for years, and five days on a boat together might rekindle their friendship or deeper feelings, if they are willing to take the chance.

I really enjoy Alicia’s sense of humor and writing. She approaches her characters in a very realistic and well-rounded way so that they are flawed but still likable. This book had a fun nostalgic feel to it that will really appeal to music fans. I also chose to read this book while vacationing on a cruise, which added to my enjoyment and really helped soak in the unique setting. If you’ve been on a cruise, you’ll appreciate the nods to cruise ship travel. Fans of open door romance, friends to lovers, and rock band/once famous main characters will enjoy this book!

Sadly, this novel was really lackluster to me. Things between John and Micah were slow going and, much like being on a huge cruise ship, I started to feel trapped.

These two used to be best friends with an underlying sexual attraction, but they never dated or anything, so it's not truly a second chance romance. Ok. But soooo much of their buildup was just a rehashing of things that happened between them prior to the start of the book. Was I expected to care...? I live in the Now, so what's happening NOW to create tension and connection? Not much, not even banter.

The reunion band plotline was forgettable, much like the rest of the band members—except for Ryder, who was such an unrepentant dickhead that I wish someone had shoved him overboard. I was, however, pleasantly surprised to run into Asa and Lauren again (from With Love, From Cold World); I hadn't recognized John as Asa's roommate!

I am now 1 for 4 on Alicia Thompson novels. I feel confident in saying that this is where I stop.

honestly i loved it!
Could the relationships be a little deeper, yes.
Did that make it any less fun to read? Absolutely not.
The last couple chapters left me with a huge smile on my face!
Loved the variety of characters , and just loved the setting! Super cute story!

It is impossible to not smile while reading this book. I was smiling like a fool in public and had no shame! One of the best I’ve read this year.

Never Been Shipped was my first book by Alicia Thompson, but unfortunately it didn't work for me.

I enjoyed the premise a lot, and I love second chance romances. But I found the main characters, particularly Micah, to be shallow and unlikeable. This may admittedly be due to my own bias against characters who seemingly don't need to work and have a "woe is me" mentality.

I enjoyed the musical elements of the story, and it gave me nostalgia for the era of CDs and mix tapes. The cruise took a bit of a backseat to the story, but I enjoyed the shuffleboard game and interactions with the fans.

The romance was more lust than relationship development and lacked believability for me. I know many people who love this and other of Alicia's books so I think this is an issue of me being the wrong audience for this book.

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

The nostalgia and longing in this book was so good!!

Micah and her former bandmates reunite for a performance on a cruise.
John, once her best friend and quiet admirer, sees this as his second chance to finally be the guy who doesn’t stand on the sidelines.

John’s quiet pining absolutely stole the show!! It was so sweet.

I loved the flashbacks, they really showed their history and how he’s always been there.

The friends to strangers to lovers trope was done SO well!

Also - the title is so perfectly clever and fitting.

If you love second chances, music filled nostalgia, this one’s a must-read.

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the free ARC.

This book was a ton of fun to get into! There were some great story moments between the two characters and their tension was definitely off the charts. I loved the premise and enjoyed getting to jump into a romance book with a musician as a main character.

I definitely loved Alicia's other books more, but this was a fun and easy read that I finished in one sitting! Definitely a book that I'll be bringing to book club when it's out as a monthly read!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley, for the E-ARC of Never Been Shipped in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this was super cute.

Characters: Titania is my Queen, Frankie is my Monarch, and—

Hoooooly John our shy, sincere, sensitive, King. He was just such a good character and his pining. Oh god, his *pining!!!* Please. As a society, can we allow men to pine like this in 2025? MVP, wonderful MMC, no notes. Thank you, Alicia, for this wonderful man.

Micah, um, you know? She was fine. I liked her, and I get where she was coming from, especially with Ryder being a bona fide creep. I get her going through it with the imposter syndrome. And I get her being lost for a long time! These were all things that hit, but for some reason, her character just did not hit the same way Titania, Frankie, and especially the way John did. That being said something, I still liked her, and it was easy to root for her. Also, shout out to her scenes crushing on John and being surprised Pikachu one moment to full force Squidward "OH NO HE'S HOT?!?!!" Epitome of he fell first she fell harder. Excellent.

Loved seeing them grow and the flashbacks were great. They were built in well and showed their origins in an effective way that didn't distract from the story. And okay yeah, the story isn't earth-shattering new, but it was executed nicely. It was fun. I liked its sense of humor and the effortless tonal shifts. It's really just a character driven story vs plot and it really works here.

One last thing, and please bear in mind that this is probably just be a ME thing. The emotionally heavy beats of John and Micah's fraught emotional journey—their yearning, longing, etc—hit SO hard. Ah, Hurt/Comfort, my favorite song. It was exquisite. Sadly, I thought it shine was diminished by some of the spicier scenes. Sometimes they felt kind of silly? I hate to say it but it detracted from the story and their chemistry—not all of the spicier scenes—some enhanced Micah's and John's adoration for each other!!! But a lot of them really took me out of it. Again, that might just be a me thing, so please take that with a grain of salt. (Though, and this is definitely a me thing, I could have done without the feet mentions/moments entirely...)

Anyway, thought this was lovely 3.5-3.75/5

Never Been Shipped is sexy, full of longing, and second chances.
Micah and John were best friends as teens. Music was their everything, and quickly became their escape once they formed a band that sky-rocketed them to fame. Due to pressure and rocky band dynamics, their band implodes and they stop speaking with one another. More than a decade later, they are asked to reunite on a cruise to play their most popular song(s) that was featured on a teen supernatural tv show. With reluctance, the band forms, and John, who once stood by and just let life pass him by and was too afraid to act on his love for Micah, now has a second chance... and it seems that his attraction for her isn't one sided. After all this time, Micah sees John with new eyes and longs to reconnect. With the forced proximity of the cruise ship, and years of longing and tension coming to the surface, John and Micah need to decide to either take the risk, or walk away again forever.

Oh. My. God. ALICIA!! I've been a fan of Alicia Thompson for a few years now, and this book is probably my favorite one she's written! Special thanks to NetGalley for the ARC,

ALICIA'S BEST WORK YET!!!
Wow. I have no words, but I can easily say this book is perfect. I mean, who wouldn't want to read a story about two hot rockstars stuck on a ship together (for five days) after reuniting and playing together for the first time almost a decade after their band's breakup?
*silence*
Exactly!!!

This book is a second-chance and friends-to-lovers romance at its finest. Alicia included all the right tropes, and the forced proximity was the cherry on top. John and Micah have my entire heart, and I was rooting for them the whole time. Seeing how down-bad John was for her was perfection, and I can't help but picture his dad as his wingman. I mean, their chemistry was undeniable... we could all see it. I was kicking my feet reading after all their encounters, and I applaud John for playing the long game. It was worth the wait, and I adore them so much.

I seriously cannot recommend this book enough.
I couldn't put this book down, and I think about it often.

Thank you to Berkley for the ARC!!

alll the stars for Alicia Thompson's latest <3

I LOVE With Love from Cold World, but I think Never Been Shipped is a new favorite <3333

The yearning. The second chance romance. The flashbacks. The sensuality. Ugh!! I need them injected into my veins.

I fear I may not recover from this one

Never Been Shipped…gah, how clever! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, despite what my rather long consumption time might tell you😂. If you’re a fan of right person right time, band romances, a little drama, spice, and Alicia Thompson’s writing absolutely pick up this book when it releases on June 10!

Never Been Shipped follows a band reunion on a cruise- and if that’s not interesting enough. There are EXES IN THE BAND. This book was drama, a vacation, and cutie little music makers. 🎸🛳️🌴

In terms of the character profiles, I loved the inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community. Micah, our bi queen, is very out and proud!! And in the spotlight (love!). Frankie, a non- binary member of the band, their character & how they handle conversations with other band members about their identity is perfect & respectful. There are more, but I’ll leave it up to you to read about them 😉

Micah & John, you are so cute! I didn’t always feel the chemistry (heat?) between them, but at the end of the day real love isn’t all pure lust & sex. When we started getting into their backstories, their current lives, and how feelings shifted, it was AMAZING to see their growth. Individually & together. The smut was FANTASTIC...Alicia I didn't know you had it in you like that...please do it more!! ❤️

Together this book was 4 stars for me. I took a star off because it seemed to be quite lengthy and I felt like I was chasing the story. I wanted it to move just a bit faster!

Thank you Berkley Romance, Alicia Thompson, and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

If you’ve read Alicia Thompson’s contemporary romances, get her newsletter, or follow her on Instagram, you know how much she loves music. Never Been Shipped feels like her ode to music, because of how ingrained it is in the plot - a formerly successful band has a reunion on a cruise ship, to play their most popular songs that were part of a popular tv show (a la Teen Wolf x The Vampire Diaries vibes). We first met John in her book With Love, From Cold World, but don’t know much about him and who knew the curly-haired guitar player had such a story behind him! (And yes, we do see Asa & Lauren in this story and it is a delight).

My favorite things about NBS was how as the reader, you are very much in the heads of John and Micah’s dual POV. I loved both their perspectives and I definitely resonated with Micah’s anxiety/panic attacks. I just ate the story up with all of its heartfelt moments, quirky jokes, and hilarious banter! Suffice it to say Alicia Thompson stays a consistent and favorite author of mine. I’ll read and highly recommend whatever she writes! I’d read this book 100 more times and it would make an amazing movie!!

Trope wise, a friends to strangers to lovers is always exciting for me. Add forced proximity and second chance vibes? Yes and yes. The tension and pining is HOT! Spice level solid 3.5/5. There are trigger warnings at the beginning if that’s something you need to know going in.

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

This was pretty good but I think this second-chance romance would have been better off without the whole "getting the band back together" plot. Ryder was so insufferable that any scene he was in, I just immediately wanted to skip.

I was expecting this to be a little more fun (band friends getting back together) but there was a lot of tension in the beginning and throughout and you could tell they didn't really like each other. Micah and John getting together after so long felt sort of abrupt? We, the reader, know they have feelings for each other but they never really discussed it so it felt like it came out of nowhere.

The epilogue was adorable and this was an easy read! I really enjoyed the deep conversations between John and Micah, this is where the book truly shines.

Alicia Thompson has done it again! I was so immediately drawn back into this world she created with her book With Love, From Cold World. I loved that we get to continue on in that world with the next housemate, John.

Read this one for:
Childhood friends to lovers
Rockstars from a one hit wonder band
Forced Proximity on a cruise ship
Only one bed
He's gone for her

Micah and John grew up being best friends and starting a band together. That band took off because they played a pivotal song on a cult following TV show. The band broke up when Micah left it to have her own solo career. Fast forward to today when they head to a cruise for the TV show to perform their songs. The problem is that no one has spoken in years, and there's a lot of baggage between all the band members and especially a lack of closure between John and Micah.

When Micah and John find themselves thrown together again, the past can't be ignored. They start to unravel what happened so many years ago, and rebuild the friendship they had. The thing is, they can't deny the chemistry that sparks between them, and soon they find themselves tangled up with one another in the sheets. They have to figure out if this is going to mean more, or just a fling on a cruise.

I was so engrossed in this story wanting to find out what happened that broke up the band, and the relationship that existed between Micah and John. The way the two had really felt adrift with out one another in their lives was heartbreaking. I loved how tender their friendship was. I also am obsessed with John and how sweet he is and how he should be protected at all costs. This man does not have a mean bone in his body. Well maybe for Ryder which is completely acceptable!

I ADORED the cameos we got from the housemates from With Love, From Cold World. Seeing Lauren and Asa all boo'd up and happy and helping out John was the cutest. I always kick my feet for all the best nostalgic references Alicia includes in her books and this one was perfection.

The whole concept for this romance was so unique and executed perfectly. I also was here for the chemistry between them and the way John was mister take control in the bedroom. Yes sir!

My only ask now is when we can get the rest of the housemates books? I need them all! I love this found family of friends that has been created!

Thank you to Berkley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.