I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

This book was described as The Unhoneymooners meets The Hating Game and, not only did that description really interest me because I enjoyed both of those books, but I think that was a really apt description for this book. The description of the travels of the cruise ship and the sites and scenery that Graeme and Henley were able to experience were very transporting. I felt like I was experiencing all of those things myself. I really like the enemy coworkers to lovers trope and this one was pretty good. Henley sounded whiny to me in some parts, but overall I liked her and Graeme's story and how their relationship was developed. The focus on teamwork in the story was also a really endearing one - it was great to see the supportive crew that Henley was surrounded by. Some pieces of the story were a little slow for me but overall I really enjoyed this story and would definitely recommend it.

This book was cute, but I feel as if I were expecting more from it than what it delivered. It seemed kind of all over the place in what kind of book it wanted to be. There is the hardworking, I don't need a man to tell me what to do, main character who also is having issues with her younger sister (So is it the work angle, or the sister angle?). The main character also can't decide how to feel about the love interest, who is up for the same promotion. I felt as if I got whiplash at times with ever-changing feelings. To top it all off, there was a lot of talk about the Galapagos and ecotourism. The book just couldn't decide really where it wanted to land. Despite all of that, though, I feel as if this book would be a great summer read - it is charming and lighthearted.

I have read a LOT of really good rom-coms lately, but even in that field, this book was a stand out. It was just so much fun! The quirky over the top side characters, the setting, the work battles, and the enemies to lovers set up all came together to make a really enjoyable story.

Also, thanks to this book, the Galapagos are now on my bucket list. Better start saving my pennies!

I am a little finicky about the types of romance books that I like. I like low angst, relatively low steam (fade-to-black sex scenes), basically a rom-com feeling. Sometimes bad communication conflicts can drive me NUTS and I’ve also found that hot & steamy romances where everything is spelled out are usually not for me. All of that said, “Shipped” fit perfectly within my tastes! A light contemporary where both characters are well-rounded and grow over the course of the plot, but still plenty of flirtation and laughs.

Our main character, Henley, was so relatable to me in terms of being a millennial with student loan debt trying to navigate corporate America — I felt she was so realistic thinking about what type of damage a night out would do to her credit card and not being truly passionate about her job. I really enjoyed the playful banter between Henley and her love interest Graeme. I liked that they overcame their miscommunications very quickly, too.

Also, what could be better than a tropical setting?! I love traveling vicariously through books. It seems the author did a lot of research on the Galapagos because the cruise setting felt very immersive.

As others have mentioned, this is a perfect comparison to “The Hating Game” (loved it) and Christina Lauren books (Ioved “The Unhoneymooners” and “Holidaze”). I think Angie Hockman could be an auto-buy for me moving forward.

Obviously I’m in the minority, but this book just didn’t do it for me. I disliked Henley. A lot. And I think that colored my whole reading of Shipped. Her bitterness, stubbornness, inability to see beyond her self imposed blinders drove me nuts. The focus on the Galápagos Islands was definitely the shining star of this novel, and for me was the best part of the book. The writing itself was good, so really, this was just a matter of fit.

Quote: “True. But life is what you make it. It’s a balancing act. If all you do is work, you’ll wake up one day-ten, twenty, fifty years from now-utterly exhausted. Then you’ll be dead.” 

Thanks @netgalley and Gallery books for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Guys, this book is so cute. This book put me out of my recently reading slump and I read it in two days. Shipped is hate to lovers trope. I can’t get enough and is the perfect summer read.

One of the main things I loved about it was the focus on Henley’s career and education. She was so focused on herself, that she neglected other important aspects in life. Also, loved Graeme’s supporting her all the way even though he haven’t met her in person.

The author make me feel like I was on vacation in the Galapagos, she did an excellent job describing the places they were visiting. This book also made an emphasis about not judging people and give them a chance.

Pack your swimsuit, grab a mojito, and enjoy this fun and witty novel by Angie Hockman. Shipped follows workaholic Henley Rose Evans and her workplace nemesis Graeme Crawford-Collins as they go on an adventure cruise to the Galapagos Island and compete for a promotion. The dialogue is smart and the scenery, spectacular. The plot is filled with strong, female protagonists navigating corporate America. Hockman expertly weaves in themes of conservation efforts, interpersonal violence, and gaslighting in the workplace as well. Looking for your next smart romcom? This is the perfect read if you’re wishing for summer days.

#shipped #angiehockman #romcom #netgalley #galleryboooks #clearthenetgalleyshelf #bookreview #strongfemaleprotagonists #womenincorporateamerica #fiction #whatiread #bookstagram #blockprint #cozyreads #summerromance #summerromcoms #bookstagrammer #voicesandviewpoints

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Ms. Hockman, and Simon and Schuster for accepting my request for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Henley and Graeme work for the same cruise line and are pitted against each other for the same promotion. They’re both sent on a cruise to the Galápagos on one of their company’s ships to come up with a digital marketing strategy to help boost sales.

When the NetGalley description touted this novel as a cross between The Hating Game and Unhoneymooners, my first thought was, “Sign. Me. Up.”
Did I love The Hating Game? Yes
Did I love The Unhoneymooners? Yes
Did I love Shipped? Once again, yes!

I loved this book! I couldn’t put it down. It was sexy, funny, smart, and swoony. I loved that so much of the Galápagos is explored in the book.

Graeme “Graham Cracker” Crawford-Collins is the guy Henley Evans hates because she thinks he stole an idea of hers when he first started the job, but you learn soon enough, things aren’t always as they seem and he’s actually a good guy. I liked that he wanted her to stand up for herself and I like that they actually communicated with each other. You really start rooting for both of them and want them both to get the promotion. I’ve read other romance novels where it’s pitted two characters up for the same job/promotion (i.e. The Hating Game, which I love), but I thought this was creative in how the end result was handled.

I predominantly read ebooks and will only buy a physical copy if I’ve loved a book. I preordered the physical copy as soon as I finished. Such an awesome debut from Ms. Hockman. I look forward to many more.

I loved The Unhoneymooners and was intrigued by the comp. The similarities were there, but this romance also stands on its own. Great atmosphere (especially when IRL traveling isn't possible right now and a sweet, believable romance.

Henley and Graeme are both up for the same promotion. They go on their company's Galapagos cruise, tasked with developing competing digital marketing strategies to determine who will win the post. Henley has been attracted to Graeme since their first online meeting, but their professional rivalry has colored her perception of him. As they come to know each other during the cruise, she realizes how skewed her impressions of him have been. Will her animosity turn to love?

The best part of this book for me was the setting—the Galapagos Islands. The author did a good job of immersing the reader in that locale. The book was worth reading for that alone.

I wasn't charmed by Henley. She's bitter, and her misconceptions of Graeme make him seem unlikable for much of the book. I didn't feel connected to the main characters—and most of the side characters just annoyed me. I think this was a case of humor being subjective, and this author's sense of humor doesn't mesh with mine.

That said, the writing and pacing are good, and the ending is satisfying.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Duuuuuudddeeeee. This book was freaking GOOD. Shipped is a super realistic workplace romance. We follow Henley and Graeme as they vie for the same promotion at a major cruise line. The two are sent to the Galápagos to each develop their own marketing plans. Yup, you guessed it... it’s an enemies to lovers! And a damn good one at that.

Every single character was so likeable. I really felt for Henley as she balanced working full-time AND going for her MBA... I cranked through the working grad school life, too. Her fun-loving sister plays a large role in the story as well, and I loved hearing about her work bestie’s recent Bumble dates. Girls club, anyone? Heck, even the cruise attendees were great!

This book shows that good things can happen when we stop worrying about the future and focus on the now. It also includes underlying discussions surrounding domestic violence and the male-dominated workplace. Now get me on a cruise to the Galápagos!

Book Review: Shipped🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

THANK YOU ANGIE HOCKMAN! This is EXACTLY the getaway book I have been craving! I started this book last night and didn’t put it down until I finished. Henley is a hardworking woman who works for SeaQuest Adventures, a cruise line, while taking graduate course, and watching her pile of loan debt continue to grow.

Eager to progress in her profession Henley is determined to climb the later at her company. When he boss offers her an opportunity to prove herself she jumps. While a cruise to the Galapagos Islands might sound initially awesome, Henley is forced to go with her work nemesis Graeme who is her direct competition for a possible promotion.

Hockman’s descriptions in the book are vividly detailed of the beautiful scenes Henley gets to explore. This book transports you as a reader and allows you to join in the journey as Henley discovers the world around her while also making life-altering discoveries about herself too. If you’re struggling with the work-life balance, this book is for you!

THANK YOU NetGalley and Gallery Books! I received copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Really enjoyed this one. I really identified with Henley and her struggles to balance work, school, and friends.

Things I liked:
- Henley's struggles felt very real!
- Graeme was so sweet. Even though we didn't get to hear his inner thoughts, we learn the reasons behind many of his earlier decisions that from Henley's POV aren't that great.
- The location had me dreaming of travel and taking a cruise again

Things I didn't like:
- Henley's relationship with her sister felt a bit off at different points, like it needed a bit more
- Slowish burn, it 100% worked for this story but isn't preference

Recommend to all who want a reminder that beautiful vacations are in our future and slowing down isn't all bad!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Gallery Books for a digital copy of Shipped by Angie Hockman in exchange for my honest opinion. Shipped is a story of Henley Evans, a hard working Seattle-based woman who is seeking a promotion at her company. Her competition? Graeme Crawford-Collins, an attractive man working remotely from Michigan. Henley has never met Graeme, but he still finds a way to grind her gears and make her work even harder to impress her boss. This prospective promotion entails a free work trip on their cruise line to the Galapagos Islands, where Henley and Graeme finally meet, but what they didn't expect was the attraction they both begin to feel for one another. Will that impact their desire for a promotion?

First off, I must say that I resonate so much with Henley because I always other think a situation in my head when it comes to work and other's opinion of me. The slow burn between Henley and Graeme was off the charts amazing, probably my favorite aspect of this entire story! I also enjoyed reading the author's note at the end of the story of how she incorporated many real tourist attractions that can be found in the Galapagos Islands, including a tradition of delivering postcards to various cities, located on Esoañola Island. The writing style made for a quick read! A few parts of the story felt a bit far-fetched, but overall I really enjoyed Angie's debut novel!

Rating: 3.5 stars!

Rating: 4/5
Laughing Score: 2/5
Crying Score:

Plot: Henley Evans is a marketing manager for a cruise line, who is also getting her MBA and trying to maintain all the relationships in her life. When a position opens up for a director role, she finds herself having to compete with Graeme Crawford-Collins, a remote (good looking, from what she’s seen on video calls), social media manager who’s a part of the boy’s club at work. Their boss recommends they both take a trip using the cruise line, experience what their customer’s experience and come up with a proposal for a new marketing initiative. The fate of their promotion falls on this new initiative - so you can only imagine what you get when you put two motivated, career driven individuals on a cruise ship for one week.


My thoughts: I kept reading that this was The Hating Game meets The Unhoneymooners, which I think is true-ish. But there are also some The Jetsetters vibes.

This was a fun read that I thankfully was able to read early thanks to @netgalley.

Henley is a relatable heroine - she’s smart, educated, works hard, tries to balance school, work, and friends, and is extremely loyal to her family. While trying to move up in a male dominated world, she is pitted against a remote (gorgeous) coworker, Graeme, for a new Marketing manager position. I loved the way Henley carried herself throughout the story, and found her to be admirable.

I also find it a bit weird to say that characters in books are ‘hot’ but Graeme sound like a stud, and someone I’d totally be into. He’s a bit shy, motivated, creative, and kind. I think I also loved this book because I love traveling, so I was enamoured with the two main characters getting to know each other while exploring the beautiful Galápagos Islands.

This book ended differently than I would have expected it too, which I also really like because it totally could have ended with enemies-to-lovers, but it was much much more.

Shipped comes out in just a few weeks (yay) on Jan 19th!

This was a really cute book.

It's marketed as THE UNHONEYMOONERS meets THE HATING GAME, I've only read the first one ... and I think Henley and Graeme are just as sweet as Olive and Ethan. I really like "hate to love" storylines (but I did feel most of the hate was one sided because Graeme was nice the whole time).

I really loved how this story was set on the Galápagos Islands ... just the authors descripton and beauty of everything makes me REALLY WANT TO TAKE A CRUISE AND DONATE TO A CAUSE.

The ending was a surprise ... had really enjoyed Henleys relationship with her sister and the supporting characters.

This is an enjoyable romance with a little travel and exotic locale descriptions mixed in. Henley and Graeme make realistic adversaries turned lovers as they compete for the same promotion at cruise ship travel company. The cast of secondary characters fill out the plot nicely and add some levity to many of the scenes. My one concern is the first two thirds of the book are more romantic leaning and then the tone shifts in the last third, as Henley starts "leaning into" her job and righting some misogynistic practices found in her workplace.

Overall this book is fun to read but not really memorable. Easy vacation read for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an advanced copy of this novel.

A cute escape with a determined, feisty female lead. I work in social media IRL so I felt a connection with Henley. Although this is a common trope - two enemies-to-lovers are battling it out over a promotion in paradise, I still enjoyed the book. It reminded me of The Unhoneymooners in a great way. I enjoyed the spin at the end where Henley ended up getting what she deserved, and more!

I really loved this. It truly was a perfect blend of The Hating Game & The Unhoneymooners. I loved how the destinations were described - you truly felt like you were there on the cruise and doing the excursions. My only "negative" feedback would be that I felt like Walsh as a character was a bit awkward at times in the story and could be incredibly cringy. I didn't completely understand her relationship with her sister at moments and there wasn't a ton of context. She felt very out of place sometimes, but I did appreciate some humor elements that she brought to the picture. All in all...really liked this book. Super cute.

I adored this book. I felt like I was on the cruise with Henley and Graeme. Henley and Graeme are both vying for a promotion at work and end up on a cruise together. Henley brings her sister who is going through a tough time, but Henley needs to work during the cruise.. The author did a fantastic job with the plot line and description of the island. If I was a cruise person I would so be there. This was my first book by the author and it will not be my last!