Reviews with content warning for Grief - Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships

Really didn't know what to expect, but this was not a rom com! While I definitely laughed out loud throughout the book, it really centers on the grief of the MC and her niece. I thought the author did a great job with these larger conversations around death and grief and it made the book really stand out from just a "rom com." I read this book in about 36 hours and was really blown away by how sucked in I got. I am also SO READY to read her next book!

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writingbookscoffee's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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bookishvanessa's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Jo, a yacht stewardess living in Florida, comes up with a bucket list of 30 things she wants to do before her 30th birthday. When her two nieces unexpectedly show up to spend the summer with her, they make it their goal to tackle the list with Jo. Along the way, issues relating to family, friendship, love, guilt, grief, and more are brought to the forefront of the story.

I’ve seen a lot of reviewers mention how this book is much different than the cover design would lead you to believe, and I can back up that claim. Because I read some reviews before starting this book, I knew it wasn’t just a fluffy, “chick lit” type book and that it would deal with more serious themes like the death of a family member and grief. I really appreciated that there is more than meets the eye with this book.

With that said, I did want a little more romance and levity; there is romance, but it is very much a slow burn, closed door romance. Some of the dialogue felt a bit forced, and the story dragged at times for me (partially due to the slow burn romance when it was obvious Jo and Alex were into each other but kept fighting it). Also, I wanted more scenes on the yacht because that makes for such a fun environment in a book. With the word “ship” being in the title and on the cover, I think I was just expecting that to play into the storyline more than it did.

Overall, if you’re looking for chick lit with a little more depth and a summery beach read, you may enjoy this one!

CWs: grief, death of a child, death of a parent

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kaykaysbookshelf's review against another edition

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4.5

Okay cute cartoon cover romcom making me cry at work. This book was so much more than a romance book. I loved the birthday bucket list and the relationship between Jo & her nieces, I feel like you don't see enough of those in stories. The grieving process for these characters was really well done and had me crying multiple times. Honestly, it felt like the romance was just a bonus to Jo's story, and I would have felt fine without it, but I am glad it was there.

Spice: 1

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readuntilthelastpage's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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katiejohns's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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