I Ship You

I recently finished reading Total Dreamboat by Katelyn Doyle. This is OwlCrate's June Romance book.

This exclusive edition features an exclusive redesigned dust jacket by @millie.illustrates & typography by @lichen_and_limestone, with stenciled edges by @millie.illustrates, a reversible dust jacket by @star.speckle and typography by @lichen_and_limestone, hardcover case design by @llstarcasterll, and end pages by @rebecaleiteart. The book is also signed by author Katelyn Doyl on an author page with an author's letter bound into the book, as well as bonus content.

~POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT~

  Rating: 3.75/5 stars

"Hope Lanover needs a vacation. Her relationship has imploded, her creative ambitions have flatlined, and she can’t seem to locate the badass girl she used to be. So when her best friend—a lifestyle influencer looking for a rich husband—invites her along a luxury cruise, Hope goes along with it…despite hating cruises, and having no interest in a fling with their elderly clientele.

Felix Segrave can’t imagine anything worse than a cruise. Sober, determinedly single, and a workaholic chef, he hates leaving his restaurant and routine. But when his parents surprise him and his sisters with tickets to celebrate their anniversary, he can’t say no—he’s disappointed them too many times in his troubled past.

Hope and Felix are prepared to grin and bear it—until they lock eyes at check-in. Suddenly, a ten-day fling in the Caribbean with a sexy stranger doesn’t seem so bad, despite all the ballroom dancing lessons and cheesy karaoke nights. That is, until Hope’s romantic demons catch up to her, Felix learns that the woman he’s falling for has not been entirely honest with him, and they find themselves stranded together—and at each other’s throats—in paradise. Forced to work together, not to mention share a bed, they must either navigate the stormy seas of love, or face romantic shipwreck."

Two people, Hope and Felix, meet on a cruise ship. There is almost an Insta-like- lust, which leads to some spicy scenes. But both Hope and Felix are dealing with personal issues that could get in the way of their relationship, which they initially just see as a shipboard fling. Hope has not gotten over a brutal breakup with her last boyfriend, and she has an unfulfilling job that she dislikes. Felix is two years sober, after a basically 20-year binge, and struggles to keep his life totally controlled, which is the only way he feels he can maintain his sobriety. I will say that the problems and pitfalls of maintaining sobriety are handled really well in this story. I loved that Hope took care of Felix during a crisis, even though she was mad at him.

There is great banter throughout the book between most of the characters, especially Felix and his two sisters, Felix and Hope, and Hope and her friend Lauren. I liked that the story alternates between Felix’s and Hope’s points of view with alternating chapters, so you can get to see how each character perceives events. I also like that Hope is a curvy girl and embraces it (as does Felix!)

There are a couple of things that bothered me. Hope continually refers to Felix as a “boy” as in “I met a boy”. He’s a 32 year-old man, FFS, and you’re having sex with him. This is either a writing tic by the author or an indication of Hope’s inner immaturity.

Lauren really crossed the line when she posted pictures and videos of Hope and Felix on the cruise, even though she had promised Hope she wouldn’t. And don’t get me started on Gabe. What a manipulative, creepy asshole.

As with a lot of stories in this genre, a lot of problems are caused either by a lack of communication, miscommunication, or failure to really hear what the other person is saying.

Overall, this is a fun read that, although you know how it ends, takes you on an enjoyable journey, even if it is a cruise.

Check out Total Dreamboat, and discover what happens when you fall in love on a cruise.