A review by jess_bythebook
More Than Shipmates by Philippa Young

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted tense slow-paced

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

3.75

Being confined on a cruise ship brings out forced proximity, workplace romance, and a whole lot of fun! Set in a beautiful atmosphere, this LGBTQ+ friendly story gets a little steamy in all the best ways. 

Eliza drops everything to set sail working in the entertainment branch of a cruise ship. Why? Because there’s nothing left for her at home. And here she can reinvent herself to be whoever she wants to be. There’s only one problem - she doesn’t know who that is.

“You’re not a child anymore. I’m not going to save you this time.”

Her family doesn’t believe in her. The people she thought were friends have abandoned her. And she’s sworn off all men… or so she vowed. At least until Oscar and Tom come along and neither one wants to share. But can they hold their own secrets in the past long enough to make her see them for them?  Or will they be ripped open and left raw and wanting?

“The gay community called me a fraud. The straight community didn’t trust me not to stray. I was good enough for a night or two, but nothing more.”

For a debut novel, this was really good. The tension was fun and all over the place. And being surrounded by a bunch of young 20-something year old characters brings about its own brand of chaotic angst, passion, and energy. There was always something going on, just like on a cruise ship, and I loved the endless entertainment and buffoonery vibes this book has in it. 

However, there was a lot of inner monologue rather than outer dialogue which got monotonous quickly. I wish they told their backstories to each other rather than to the reader. And since it’s on a cruise ship, I was hoping for more details about the locations they went to or what the ship looked like. But that didn’t take away from how cute the story is. 

This has a slight love triangle feel to it, but not really enough push and pull between the characters to make me consider it as a full fledged drama. And considering the illustrated cover, the spice was a welcome surprise! Definitely an enjoyable summer romcom!

“Sometimes we can get caught up in the what-ifs and lose sight of all the great things that have happened because of the choices we made.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Summer Stars Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.