If I could, I would live in this book and how it made me feel forever. Alicia Thompson writes romances for the anxious girls- she notices and writes such intricate details about her characters and their interactions, and it makes for such a lovely and immersive reading experience. She understands how trauma can inform everything you do- like of course John takes pristine care of his instruments. With a second chance romance, you want yearning and let me tell you- there is so much longing and angst and little moments of Micah wanting John and John wanting Micah that really make the relationship feel earned. This book (not surprisingly) is all about music, and there's so much to dig into- what it means to put yourself into music, how playing songs over and over again change their meaning, etc. While we definitely had to wait awhile for any song lyrics, they were genuinely perfect- especially the ones at the end. I really liked the third act conflict, it felt realistic but also gave me just enough emotional turmoil. This was my most anticipated of the year and it was everything and then some!

Everything from the premise to the gorgeous cover had me SO EXCITED for this book. One of my most anticipated books of the year; though I did enjoy it, I was a teeeeensy bit let down. I absolutely loved The Art of Catching Feelings but this book never quite hit the same tone for me. Nevertheless, this is still a fun story!

Micah and John were so cute, I love the friends to lovers trope. I wasn’t as interested in the subplot involving the band as a whole, but it did lend nicely to evolving their relationship. I especially liked the ending! There was less of a third act breakup and more of a third act pause which I appreciated, and I liked seeing Micah and John build their friendship again. The final chapter was adorable!

Never Been Shipped was a light hearted friends to lovers romance between John and Micah. I was extremely excited to read this title, as I loved the concept of a reunion on a themed cruise storyline, but it fell a bit short for me. I loved the inclusion of the curated playlist for each chapter at the beginning of the book and the first three three quarters of Never Been Shipped. After the final performance, I was surprised that there was still a decent amount of book left as I expected that to be the end and then an epilogue. I am sure there are people who love this style of ending, but it just did not work for me and just felt dragged out. Because of this, I was left feeling underwhelmed and almost as if I was reading it to just finish it by the end. That feeling is reflected in my rating. It is a cute book with likable characters. and I do recommend it to anyone that enjoys the summary.

okay this is almost exactly like for one night only by jessica james. i wonder if i’d feel differently about this one if i hadn’t read that first(?)

i think i’m just over the millennial trend of “i was in a band/2000s hit tv show/insert famous person here” in romance books lately. we’ve got business or pleasure, fan service, now these two books and i’m not into it 😭

the plot was incredibly boring i will say that. i was here for the romance and as they were childhood friends, there’s a bit of that lingering connection it took til the literal last chapter for that to come to fruition in an emotional way. all the smut beforehand though…didn’t know miss alicia got down like that holy shit??? they were kinky little rascals and i was just along for the ride!

I enjoyed every second of this!! The writing was addictive and I loved the characters and story. The chemistry between them was exceptional and I already know I’ll be re-reading this when it comes out. This had me smiling and I didn’t want to put it down until I was done.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with an e-arc!

I’ve never wanted to go on a cruise, I’m not a “cruise person” but Alicia is changing my mind. 😂 This book is full of heart, tension, romance, steam, and nostalgia. I loved every minute of it! 🥰

The mix of romance and music here is perfection, especially with the backdrop of a cruise and the rekindling of old band dynamics. Micah’s reluctance to fall for John at first gives the story a slow-burn quality, but once it heats up, you’ll be rooting for these two musicians to create something lasting. With witty dialogue, emotional depth, and a backdrop full of music and memories, this is a romance that hit all the right notes.

I loved this book. The romance between Micah and John was *chefs kiss* It wasn’t necessarily a second chance romance but it had that same kind of feel. The longing and tenderness was really beautiful.

Alicia Thompson never misses for me and Never Been Shipped is no exception. I've been anxiously awaiting John's story ever since I read With Love, from Cold World and it did not disappoint! I loved Micah and John SO much, the tension, the yearning, the pining!!! And Micah as a FMC was just *chef's kiss*. Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC!