A review by thisreadingcorner
Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade

funny lighthearted slow-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

Ship Wrecked is the third book in a series about the cast of a popular tv series (very much GoT) finding love, this time beginning with a one night stand turned years long partnership. Peter, long-time actor and loner finally getting the role that promises to change his career trajectory forever, meets Maria, Swedish theater ingenue and body confidence maven more committed to family than craft. After an impassioned and anonymous meeting, the two assume they’ll never see each other again, until they both walk into the same audition. Needless to say, there is some serious chemistry, and some serious tension. 
 
I wanted to love this, but almost immediately, I was confused. There are several big time jumps in this story, so it ultimately spans about 6 years in its 400 ish pages. The time they spend apart is not used to develop their characters in any key ways and no great detail is provided about what that experience is like, it’s just - oh and now I see him/her again, can’t believe it’s been six years. While I appreciated Peter’s commitment to the bit, the idea of him allowing their friendship/relationship to stagnate for that long didn’t curl all the way over, especially because some of the crucial conversations they have at the 6 year mark should long preceded any notion of loving someone - it feels like they both devote an incredible amount of meaning to a spark but do no real work to fan it until the 40% mark. 
 
Things that worked for me: Maria’s refusal to compromise her body in the face of professional pressure. The cast of side characters cheering them on - more behind the scenes folks than the other actors (I can do without the fanfic/costars). The entire Sweden montage of scenes was beautifully domestic. The Kauffman cover and pairing of two fat people who are just fat, not conveniently ~slightly~ larger than the other characters. I don’t know if this is the close of this series, but I think it could and should be - the couples in the first two books appear and a pretty neat bow is tied on the show. 
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