Suzy and Amanda come from different backgrounds but they are both in economic distress when they take jobs on a cruise ship. I have enjoyed Imrie's books in the past but this one wasn't as well gelled as I'd hoped- not enough details of life as an employee on a ship. The humor is a tad slapstick, which can be wearing,. but it's light entertainment. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

I have enjoyed seeing Celia Imrie in the TV series Kingdom and in the Downton Abbey movies. Now I know that she is not only an excellent actress but also an entertaining storyteller.

Here is a book where the pages turn easily and the story is fun. Two women down on their luck choose to work on a cruise ship. One is an actress who has suddenly lost a job while the other is temporarily homeless and sees the ship as a temporary solution to her problem. Neither knew that so much would happen on board.

This is a light read and one that I recommend to those who need a bit of escape.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA for this title. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. I was so excited to read this boom. However, I found myself bored and confused while reading this. There was so much going on, and none of it was able to grab my attention. I wanted to stop reading multiple times but I kept going hoping it would get better. Unfortunately, it never did.

***I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for this opportunity.***

This was a great book. The story was captivating and kept me interested throughout. Can’t wait for more from this author.

The female protagonists in Sail Away by Celia Imrie were fun and unexpected; it was refreshing to read a novel with female characters that were older, as it seems so many books focus around women in their 20's, 30's, and 40's. I loved both characters, but I found myself more interested in Amanda's storyline (perhaps because she was more relatable). The character development was great for both, and I loved not only the althernate points of view, but also the way that the characters lives came together. Overall, this was a fun read and would be great for a beach or vacation read.

I haven't read Ms. Imrie's other novels, but as this one wasn't quite my "cup of tea" I don't know that I will. I have seen her as an actress in several movies, perhaps she should stick to acting. Perhaps it's my lack of understanding British humor! Thanks to NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review. However, she was published, so I'll give her one star for that!

My review has been posted to Goodreads.

Review has also been tweeted as usual.

Thank you! :c)

Sail Away by Celia Imrie is a contemporary story with a bit of mystery involved. The book follows two different women as they both go about their lives with their paths being drawn together and crossing.

Suzy Marshall is an out of work actress that finds that jobs get harder and harder to obtain now that she is in her sixties despite being on popular programs years before. When her agent contacts her with an opportunity she immediately gets excited thinking she will finally have something to pay the bills but when things fall through Suzy ends up finding work aboard a cruise.

Amanda Herbert has also fond herself in a bit of a bind now that she’s older. Planning to sell the home she had raised her children in she never expected the flat she had planned on moving to to fall through. But with both of her adult children unable to help and no where to go Amanda finds that it would be much cheaper to board a cruise for the weeks she needs a home than to stay at a hotel.

Being a lover of cruising of course I had to pick up this title as soon as I saw it if for nothing else than to see what this author does with a story aboard a cruise ship. After reading I have to say the actual story of Suzy and Amanda was quite interesting with a bit of a mystery going on with my only drawback being it did move a bit slowly.

However, as far as the cruising side I kept finding little details that didn’t add up to me along with times that the story lost the feel of the setting completely and could have taken place anywhere. Now as far as not feeling authentic to me I have only cruised out of the U.S. and on bigger lines so it could be a case of not familiar with this type of ship/cruise though. Along with the setting side though this review copy had a ton of errors which normally I’d overlook but that also brought my rating down a tad and led to this just being an OK read for me.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is such a fun read! If you like cruise stories with funny charcters and a bit of mayhem and mischief, ,you will love this book.
I loved the smart funny women at the core of the story. Very well done ! Its a great afternoon read I highly recommend.
Nothing better then escaping with this book for the day !
Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my review.

Intrigue on the High Seas


I’ve never been on a cruise ship but I almost feel like I have after reading Sail Away. I expected a fun, light summer read and was not disappointed. I didn’t see the twists coming and was surprised to learn how the characters were ultimately interconnected.

Sail Away is the story of two older British women who each ends up on the same three week cruise ship. It is an entertaining read with some amusing characters and a few laugh ts along the way. There are a few twists along the way which keep it interesting and build the suspense.

Suze is an actress well past her glory days as her claim to fame was a role in the highly rated show Dahlias, which aired 30 years ago. Nowadays she has trouble landing any acting gigs and often has to take on temp work to pay her bills. So when her agent calls offering her a part in The Importance of Being Earnest for a six-week run in a Zurich theatre, she jumps at the chance. After two weeks of unpaid rehearsals, Suze comes to Zurich only to learn that the play has been cancelled at the last minute. Without the funds to buy a return airline ticket, Suze is thrilled when her agent comes to the rescue with a job aboard a cruise ship, which will get her home.

Amanda is a grandmother who has sold her house and buys a new flat. Just as she is about to move in, the deal suddenly falls through and Amanda is forced to put her belongings in storage. She tries to stay with each of her children but neither works out. She begins looking for a new apartment and is relieved when her agent calls to tell her the deal is back on but with one caveat, she has to wait 2-3 weeks. After scouting around for an inexpensive hotel without much success, she impulsively opts to go on a three cruise.

The author provides the reader with plenty of back story on each of these women and we get a clear sense of their current situations in life and their motivations for going on the cruise. I really felt like I got to know Suze and Amanda will before the ship set sail.

As the story unfolds, Suze is giving acting classes on the ship while Amanda attracts an admirer. In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, untethered to phones and internet connections, new difficulties arise for Amanda back home. In the meantime, Suze is desperately trying to succeed at being a lecturer/teacher while still trying to understand what went wrong in Zurich with her acting gig. That’s when the fun begins and there is suspense, intrigue and lots of dancing and drinking.

Thank you to Bloomsbury USA and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoy Celia Imrie's books for the escapism and light fiction, and this one did provide both. It was a little slow in the beginning, but as the two main female characters, Suzy and Amanda, meet on a cruise ship and their stories intertwine, the pace picked up. The setting was fun for me since I am a cruise lover. Suzy is hired for an acting job, even though as she ages they are few and far between. Amanda is feeling lonely after selling her house and looking to move on. Suzy and Amanda are unknowing victims of an embezzlement scheme, and as they delve deeper into finding out what is going on, all kinds of mayhem occurs. I liked it.

As a fan of Celia Imrie's acting, I was so curious to see how her writing would be. The book is just lovely! Perfect spring reading (if only spring ever arrived!) The characters are fun, and well developed and though there is an element of predictability, I didn't really mind. A lovely book!