Hook, Line and Single is an enjoyable and entertaining read , it’s about two best-friends going on a cruise together and the fun that ensues.

I really liked this story even if I feel it didn’t quite match up to its synopsis, or rather didn’t spend that much time on the cruise it was still very entertaining.

If you’re looking for a light and enjoyable read to brighten up your winter days , look no further than Hook, Line and Single.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC!

*3.5 Stars*

I love a good fake dating premise - especially when the characters want nothing to do with each other! While I wish the pacing of the story was a bit quicker, this was a fun vacation read.

Phoebe MacLeod comes through once again with Hook, Line and Single. The light and enjoyable work filled with a lovely story and fun and funny characters is exactly what I've come to rely on MacLeod for.
When Ruby's roommate and best friend, Sam, convinces her they deserve a vacation she finally relents and packs her bags ready to relax and sight-see on their lovely cruise. Upon boarding this ship Ruby realized Sam wasn't completely forthcoming in what they are signed up for.

This will they, won't they romance had me staying up a little too late to see what was in store for Ruby and Cameron.

Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for a copy of this great read in exchange for my honest review.

"Hook, Line, and Single" follows Ruby Johnson, co-owner of a charming bookshop in Margate, Kent, and her best friend Sam Thorncroft as they embark on what's supposed to be a relaxing getaway. However, Sam's secret plan of signing them up for a singles cruise sets the stage for an unexpected journey of self-discovery and romance.

The novel presents a mix of lighthearted moments and more serious undertones. Ruby, sworn off men due to past experiences, finds herself reluctantly participating in the cruise's matchmaking activities. Her grumpy demeanor contrasts nicely with the sweet and handsome Cameron, whom she ends up fake-dating to avoid the cruise's romantic pursuits. Their developing relationship forms the core of the romantic element, though it takes some time to fully materialize.

I enjoyed the colorful cast of supporting characters, including Barry, the enthusiastic cruise director, and Robin, a clergyman who catches Sam's eye. The author also weaves in Ruby's backstory, exploring the reasons behind her aversion to relationships, which adds depth to her character arc.

Ruby and Cameron meet on a singles cruise. Neither is sure about trying to meet someone, and they start off as friends but will it lead to more? A fun read.

I really, really enjoyed this one! The characters are relatable, the dialogue is natural and the storyline is dramatic, funny and easy to read. 10/10.

This story is about two best friends who go on holiday together and meet new people and have new experiences. It's a fun, lighthearted romance.

"Hook, Line and Single" by Phoebe MacLeod is a funny romance novel that whisks readers away on a romantic adventure through the Mediterranean. It's the story of Ruby, a young woman who has vowed to give up men and enjoys her friends, cat, and gadgets. Her flatmate, however, cons her into boarding a singles cruise much to her frustration. While onboard, Ruby crosses paths with Cameron, who similarly is there falsely. They plan to pair up platonically to keep away from the sexual advances of the other guests as well as the matchmaking attempts by the overeager host, Barry.

While Ruby and Cameron go on hikes in quaint villages and hang out together, Ruby can't help but like having Cameron around. The narrative gets across the dynamic that develops between Ruby and Cameron perfectly, a mixture of warmth, humor, and surprising bonding moments. Ruby and Cameron come alive as complete, fully developed people, not unlike the interactions in real life.

Phoebe MacLeod's writing is gripping and smooth, and this book is ideal for readers of light-hearted romantic comedies. The novel also explores aspects of friendship, self-discovery, and the value of taking a chance in life. All in all, "Hook, Line and Single" is a heartwarming and fun read that will have people smiling as they finish the book.

Hook, Line and Single is Phoebe Macleod‘s newest stand-alone romantic comedy. It’s a fake-dating travel romance set primarily on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean Sea.

28-year-old Ruby Johnson swore off men after a disastrous relationship in college. She lives with her best friend, Sam Thorncraft, and her beloved cat, Samson, in Margate, England. Ruby co-owns a bookstore and coffee bar with a gay man, Jono. Sam has a very active dating life, although she primarily goes out with losers. After her latest bad relationship goes sour, Sam tricks Ruby into going on a singles cruise.

Ruby is upset when she discovers that her free cruise is really a mechanism for Sam to meet single men. She quickly learns that she can’t get out of the arrangement and is upset when Sam immediately abandons her to pursue eligible men. Ruby keeps running into the same passenger in the Singles Mingle group. Cameron is a handsome police officer who is also from Kent, and he is getting over a recent break-up from his longtime girlfriend. So Ruby and Cameron fake a relationship to protect each other from the flirtatious advances of the other singles and the matchmaking efforts of Barry, the enthusiastic Singles Mingle Director.

When Ruby and Cameron are sightseeing in Spain, a thief steals Ruby’s wallet and her phone. They miss getting to the ship on time because they are at the police station reporting the theft. They then have several days of forced proximity while they attempt to meet back up with their cruise ship. While Ruby is happily single and absolutely denies wanting a relationship, she finds herself enjoying Cameron’s company. When the cruise ends and she returns home, she has to decide if she wants to continue seeing Cameron.

Meanwhile, Sam immediately falls for the mysterious Robin Andrews, who isn’t as sleazy as some of the other men in their group. She spends every waking hour with him, but he refuses to reveal his occupation.

Hook, Line and Single is different from previous books by this author because it contains a higher level of romance, sexual descriptions, and many F-bombs. Usually, this author writes cozy character-driven stories with minimal romance, and there is very little profanity or sexual references. The secondary female character, Sam, is very sexually active and uses the F-word frequently. For most of the story, Sam is a terrible friend to Ruby. A second complaint of this book is that the first third of the book occurred in Ruby’s hometown of Margate, and detailed Sam’s dating disasters. So the book blurb is only representative of the second two-thirds of the book. Some readers may be disappointed that it takes so long to reach the anticipated storyline.

While I ultimately enjoyed Hook, Line and Single, this story is my least favorite from this author. I really disliked the raunchy descriptions of Sam’s sexscapades and her use of profanity. Additionally, there was religion-bashing throughout the story. I think readers would enjoy this story better if it were cleaned up more.

The hero, Cameron, was absolutely perfect. Barry, the group leader on the cruise, was hilarious. Ruby’s younger sister, Emerald, was hilarious, as was their parents. Samson the cat was the third main character and deserves his own epilogue. I’m thankful that the author redeemed Sam and got to a happy ending. I hope this story is not indicative of this author’s future writing style; I loved her cozy, closed-door rom-coms.

I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Boldwood Books for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Cute lil slow burn romance. Enjoyed seeing Cam and Ruby fall in love. The idea of the fake dating on a relationship cruise was fun. Didn't love the best friend. 3.5 Stars!

Very much enjoyed this. A light hearted read about a singles cruise.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

2 ⭐️
Was not a fan, like the concept of the story nice but the ending just completely ruined it for me. Could’ve been a good solid 4 star read but just wasn’t for me
Only finished because I had the ARC. Just didn’t really vibe with the story. The MC and the flatmate irked me just meh. Flatmate was a shit friend

Pacing was also a bit all over the place

This is a cute, lighthearted read that manages to cover some serious themes in a relatable way. Ruby and Sam have both had their romantic mistakes (Threesome Pete, anyone?), but Sam isn't ready to give up. She registers them both (unbeknownst to Ruby) on a singles cruise, which is where the...ahem...fun...begins. But actually it does! With a series of misadventures that reminded me of an old I Love Lucy episode, Ruby and the new friend she makes on the cruise must somehow reconnect with their boat and make it to the end of the cruise. There are a number of surprises and reveals along the way, and everyone gets their HEA, naturally.

Ruby is happy being single and has been sworn off men for good. But when her flatmate tricks her into going onto a singles cruise, she is furious. Despite that, she is going to enjoy the cruise no matter what. She meets Cameron who also has no idea what he has let himself in for. So they both agree to pair up to avoid any other flirtatious advances from others. But Ruby finds him attractive at the same time. This was a really fun read with plenty of laugh out moments from start to finish. I always enjoy Phoebes books as her characters are so relatable. Another fantastic read!

Ruby and Sam have been best friends forever, they live together and share a cat. However while Sam is obsessed with finding her Mr Perfect, Ruby has sworn off men since her last ex. So when Ruby is tricked to going on a singles cruise, she doesn’t know how she is going to get through the ten days of torture, when romance is the last thing on her mind.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this one and it was a fun romance with a bit of a different dynamic. I did feel at times that I was reading Sam’s story and not Ruby’s, but I really enjoyed the dynamic that Ruby and Sam had with each other. And I really did enjoy both romances throughout the book, but they just felt a bit rushed at times.

I love a story with a bit of a twist, so the missed ship storyline was fun. And who doesn’t love a forced proximity romance?

Thank you Phoebe MacLeod, Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

2 stars.

Ruby ends up in a singles’ cruise because her friend is constantly looking for her soulmate. Ruby meets Cameron and they become friends. Together they decide to fake date so their cruise becomes easier as they don’t have to pretend to search a partner any more.

This book was a bit of a disappointment to me. I ended up skimming when I got too irritated with Sam (she wasn’t a very good friend in my opinion). I think the balance between main characters and side characters wasn’t good - there was too much talk about Sam and her dating. I would’ve liked if the main characters had more chemistry a bit earlier; I felt that they felt more like friends and then suddenly Cameron want’s to date. There’s no Cameron’s POV, only Ruby’s, so we don’t actually know very much about Cameron’s thoughts.

I couldn’t understand why Ruby was so reluctant about dating and that got me a bit irritated. When she told Sam about her history, it made a bit more sense.

WHAT I LIKED: I liked Cameron. And cruise ships are also fun settings so I liked that!

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: Sam, she wasn’t a very good friend. I also didn’t understand the hate against the church in this book, it was in a weirdly big role in this book. The lack of chemistry between MCs was a disappointment.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Pov: heroine, 1st person
Heat: fade to black
Pacing: slowburn
Communication: some miscommunication, but towards the ending some healthy communication too
Third act: hiccups (not a break up as they aren’t yet together)
Ending: HEA with an epilogue

Main characters:
* Friends to lovers

What?
* Fake dating
* Forced proximity
* One bed

Where?
* A cruise ship on Mediterranean
* Traveling together

Drama?
* Difficult past

Other vibes:
* ”We’re just friends”

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this Arc🫶🏼

I liked this book so a lot!
It was quick and fun but still had the time for some darkness and character development.

Ruby is a great FMC and I loved how witty and smart she was while still struggling with some hard stuff from her past.
I also really liked the friendship in this book and how it showed how important it is to have people who stand by you through it all.

I absolutely loved Cameron and he really had me swooning over him.
Who doesn’t want a Cameron in her life?

The cruise was a fun setting and I loved the locations they got to see and the side characters was also fun and had me rooting for them.

Overall, I was not a fan of this one. I think it just wasn't the right timing for me, and it didn't "hook" me quickly enough. I didn't connect with the main characters.

This book was cute _ I really enjoyed the grumpy/sunshine trope. From the friendship that starts it off to the romances that are built in the storyline, I really enjoyed reading this one from start to finish.

This book had me laughing quite a bit and I didn't put it down for an entire day.

Thank you for the ARC! Although the chemistry was great, I didn't really like how the story developed. It was good enough to keep me reading to finish but not something I will be recommending to my major romance fan friends.

This book was absolutely everything I had hoped for. It keeps you sucked in and wanting more. The characters had great chemistry and the story itself was even cuter than I expected it to be. A must read for romcom girlie's.