I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to be able to tell others to buy it and read it. It was the perfect getaway from real life and made me miss vacationing and cruising. I loved the characters, the drama, the romance, the descriptions of the setting, everything about it. Highly recommend this book! Hope the other writes more with the other characters!!

I LOVED Shipped! It’s a great enemies-to-lovers story although I feel like the relationship between Henley and Graeme evolves in a way you don’t see coming. There’s banter, lustful gazes, hilarious lines, and a fabulous cruise ship adventure. Through her experience, Henley grows as a professional independent woman and I loved it. She also had a great support system which is always good to see in a book. The Galápagos Islands is so integral to the story that it feels like another character in the book. Overall, this book made me smile and I couldn’t stop reading. I posted on my stories that this is one of those books that you just want to hug when it ends because it makes you so happy. 2020 has been all about the feel good make me laugh and swoon romcoms and I’ll be going into 2021 looking for more! 💕

Thank you to @netgalley and @gallerybooks for a free digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the character development in this novel. I liked how the annoying sister had a really dangerous life situation that impacted her flighty behavior. The work relationship among the women is something you seldom hear of in real life. Therefore; I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t overly cheesy. There were certain instances when it was predictable, but there were also times when the unexpected happened.

Love love love! Didn’t want to put it down from the moment I started! Enemies (kind of ;) ) to lovers and the build up is soo good. I B want more of these two!!!

This story was exactly the wholesome, happy romcom that I needed in my life right now. It put a big smile on my face and got me excited at the prospect of traveling again. Sure, at its core it has all the tropes that we come to expect from a romcom but the characters were really like-able and I was rooting for them from the get-go so I didn't mind the cliches sprinkled in along the way.

Shipped, in my opinion, read like a teen story. It was very unbelievable and the storyline juvenile. I didn’t feel like the characters were developed well enough and the “twists” were flat. I really wanted to like the story but it was very hard to engulf myself into it. I was told it was like Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren which I see the parallels but the characters are flat and lack any depth to them, the storyline was bland and predictable. I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped to.

This book was SUCH a blast, I couldn't put it down except when I was laughing my head off at some of the hilarious-if-awkward events. I absolutely loved the world that Hockman created, and all the characters in it. Graeme and Henley are somewhat portrayed as caricatures rather than believable people, but I think hyperbolization of characters is to be expected in romance novels, so I was fine with it. Similarly, the writing style was often laugh-out-loud funny, though I'm not sure it was supposed to be. The similes/metaphors throughout the story were truly hysterical. Examples: "His jaw is an unforgiving as a mountain" and "Walsh isn't exactly the most reliable when it comes to making promises; she's flakier than a Hot Pocket." Again, this writing style is somewhat expected when reading a romance novel, but if that sort of thing turns you off, then maybe steer clear because this book is chock full of it. Personally I have to be in the mood for this sort of book otherwise I'd just be eye-rolling throughout, but this was the PERFECT light-hearted and massively enjoyable read for a cold, snowy, winter weekend. I felt completely transported to the Galapagos with the characters, and as their relationship blossomed I was really rooting for them, and both their careers! I whole-heartedly enjoyed this book and would absolutely seek out other Hockman reads for the entertainment value.

4/5 stars because I can't in good conscience rate a book 5 stars when it's full of writing like the metaphors above, even though they made me cackle :). Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for a free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Let me count the ways I loved this book. I devoured it. It might just be my favorite read. I'm fangirling pretty hard and will probably be chanting Angie's name for the near future anytime someone asks who my new-to-me favorite author is.
I think enemies to lovers is my favorite trope. Add a forced proximity and a shared employer, and you have me from page one.
Henley is that girl we all relate to - or want to be - in the business world. She has innovative ideas, ambition, and crazy good work ethic. BUT her work life balance is nil. When she's up for promotion and forced to go on a cruise with her work enemy and competition, Graeme, she drags her sister along for moral support and hopefully another set of eyes to land the promotion.
The relationship between Henley and Graeme is fraught with witty banter, tension, and a whole lot of attraction. It's the relationship I love to watch time and time again.
If this hasn't convinced anyone to pick up this book, do it anyway and judge for yourself. I'm going to need the paperback asap just to give it a hug!
TW: minor language and skippable steam
Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Shipped was really cute and light, exactly what I needed at the time I read it! I loved the characters, and the Galapagos setting was really cool. The enemies to lovers trope worked well too. I would definitely read more by this author!

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a free copy of Shipped in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All Thoughts and opinions are subjective but my own*

I learned about this book a month or so ago and when I read that it was The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren meets The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, I was immediately interested! It's hard to pass up anything that's described as a blend between two of your favorite romances of all time so I immediately started reading it once I was able to. That being said, for all of the excitement that I had headed into it, I must admit that it didn't quite give me what I really enjoyed about the aforementioned books - depth.

Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and it truly was a joy to read. I finished it in about six hours total reading time and was consistently smiling and laughing as I read. The chemistry between Henley and Graeme can be felt immediately and it had all the elements of a worthwhile enemies to lovers story that I also found in The Unhoneymooners and The Hating Game. Furthermore, I enjoyed Henley's relationship with her sister, Walsh. I thought that adding in Walsh's struggle with a less than stellar ex-boyfriend gave the reader the pleasure of seeing a truly loving big sister spring into action when her little sister needs, which was one of my favorite parts of the story.

That being said, when I finished the book, I couldn't help feeling like I needed more depth. Though I did enjoy following the progression of the feelings between Henley and Graeme, it comes at somewhat of a shock considering the lack of in person interactions between the two characters prior to their time on the cruise. I have trouble believing that those kinds of feelings could develop that quickly, which caused the story to lose me at times. For all of the tension building between Henley and Graeme, I didn't feel the payoff as much as I wanted to and did hope for a little bit more steam that never came. In terms of the workplace drama, I felt like it was a little exaggerated and unbelievable at times as well so when that portion concluded, I didn't feel as content as I normally would given the situation Henley was up against.

I consider this to be a 3 star read for me (which is solid given the genre). I enjoyed the concept of the book and had fun while I read it but I just don't feel like this stacks up against the books its comparing itself to and is generally unmemorable in my large romance novel library.

Imagine going on a week long all-expenses paid cruise...with your nemesis, whom you’ve never actually met in person before, and who is also vying for the same promotion you’ve worked your entire career to earn. Sounds relaxing!

Shipped actually is a relaxing read for those of us not trapped with our archenemies. The depictions of the Galápagos Islands are so intricate I felt like I was the one on the cruise. I also really enjoyed the chemistry between the main frenemies, and how the plot twists were expected but not at all predictable. I’d recommend this one to fans of The Hating Game and The Unhoneymooners.

Henley is determined to make Director by age 30 - she is putting in too many hours at the office, getting her masters degree at night and putting her personal life on the backburner. Graeme has had a tough couple of years and is ready for a new start - including the promotion that both he and Henley are up for. Their boss sends them both on this Galapagos Island cruise to inspire them to create a marketing proposal - whoever has the strongest proposal, gets the promotion.

This was an enemies to lovers story line with some amazing supporting characters. It also touches on women in the corporate world and women empowerment. I definitely recommend this book!

This is a super cute contemporary romance. It's fast paced with relatable characters. I think Henley will be an easy to relate to character, unsure of the future with the crust of bills, and wanting a promotion to get some financial breathing room, and close to her career goal. Graeme is lovely. Definitely man candy fodder

Wow what a fun read! This book describes itself as The Unhoneymooners meets The Hating game and I can definitely see why!

Shipped follows the ambitious and hard-working Henley as she learns she's on the shortlist for a promotion at the cruise line company she works for. The other name on the list? Her work rival Graeme who she's never met in person. To win the promotion each must come up with a new marketing proposal while aboard one of the company's cruise ships set for the Galápagos Islands. On the ship, Henley starts to see that Graeme isn't as bad as she thought. But Henley must decide if Graeme is her competition or if she can trust him as a potential romantic partner.

THIS WAS SO CUTE AND FUN!! I loved all the characters and I really connected to Henley and her relationship with her job! The romance between Henley and Graeme was great and I loved their nicknames and banter!! Graeme was funny, supportive, and strong and I thought he was one of the best love interests I've read about lately! And more than the romance, the side characters all held their own as well. Henley's outgoing younger sister Walsh, the eccentric cruise passenger Nikolai, and even Henley's boss James all held my interest and they all helped advance the story.

And speaking of Henley's boss.. WOW this book tackled a lot showing how some women (like Henley) are treated by men in the workplace. Every time Henley was called "sweetheart", was interrupted, or her ideas weren't taken seriously I got so angry. I have been in those situations countless times as a woman in business and I really liked how this book showed the journey of Henley's professional career just as much as her romantic journey. Because of this, I think I variety of readers could get something out of this book, even if you're not big on romance!

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun escape set in a tropical paradise! Special thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for sharing this incredible ARC with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Love it! The storyline was realistic and applicable to today. The characters were easy to like and root for. Most importantly, it brought to light some very important issues about a very special place I’ve had the privilege of visiting.

Henley is a BOSS BABE and Graeme is the SWEETEST dang guy ever!⁣
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Henley and Graeme work for the same cruise line but Graeme works from home in Michigan and Henley works in Seattle at the company. They are sent on a cruise in order to come up with proposals to get a promotion. Who will get the promotion!? These two bicker via email constantly and Henley is convinced that Graeme is the enemy, but little does she know that Graeme secretly adores her.⁣
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These two have such cute banter. Graeme tries to get Henley out of her own head and Henley pushes Graeme constantly because she doesn’t trust him. Walsh, Henley’s sister is rooting for the sexy Graeme but will Henley finally see what a great guy he is?⁣
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The love Henley’s friends have for her is so so sweet. The adoration Graeme has for her and the chemistry is undeniable. Such a cute read!⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
Thank you @netgalley and @gallerybooks for an ARC for my honest review. Out in January!⁣
#bookstagram #books #romance #shipped #netgalley⁣

Between her marketing job and her MBA classes, Henley works hard and she knows her stuff. So when a promotion opportunity opens up in the cruise office where she works, she knows she's the right candidate for it. Unfortunately, her competition is Graeme, the teleworking social media manager who has formed a bros club with her boss James. James decides to test them by sending them on a Galapagos cruise so they can each design a new campaign. On this cruise, they meet for the first time face-to-face, and to Henley's surprise, sparks fly between them.

The story goes in heavy at first on Henley's workaholic nature versus Graeme's more relaxed personality, but it's soon balanced with the comedic encounters she has with Graeme and the other cruise guests. The romantic comedy was sweet, and it was easy to root for Graeme, even when Henley wasn't being completely fair to him.

As the story continues, Hockman builds some nice depth through Henley's relationship with her sister. As the two of them attempt to heal their relationship, it does a lot more for improving Henley's character than even the romance and her revelations about her relationship fears. Combined with the conservationist messages, and the sudden twist in the outcome of Henley's proposal at the end, I found that I was engaged by far more than just the romance between the protagonists. Sweet, funny, and entertaining!

This was such a fun read that is going to be the perfect way to start your January out! I lived vicariously through their travels in this book seen as I have been absolutely no where fun at all!
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Henley is a go getter with career on the mind. She works full time, takes class for her MBA at night and is setting goals for a promotion. She had no time for family, friends or a boyfriend. Her main focus is the promotion. However, there’s a problem.
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Graeme is also up for the same promotion. He may be handsome but of course he’s her arch nemesis. As a final test their boss sends them each on a cruise to Galapagos (rough test 😂) to see who can come up with the better ideas.
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I love their exchanges, especially their emails. They are witty and I love their banter back and forth. They challenge each other and push each other way past their comfort zones.
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Side note: I have some major feelings about her boss.
I do love that she doesn’t need a man on a white horse to rescue her. She is her own rescuer but it sure is nice to have her man by her side.
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Thank you to #Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Shipped!

Described as The Unhooneymooners meets The Hating Game which honesty that made me even more interested in reading Shipped and as I read I was totally getting vibes from both books and loved it!

Henley is a marketing manager for a cruise company (yet she's never left the Pacific Northwest) and when she's shortlisted for a promotion she's so excited that her plan is finally in motion. Except the other person shortlisted is the remote social media manager - Graeme who is the bane of her existence. Now they find themselves on a cruise in the Galapagos and needing to come up with a proposal on how to increase bookings to prove who gets the promotion.

If you're a friends to lovers fan and love witty banter along with dreams of visiting the Galapagos then you'll love this book. It was fun, at times I wanted to shake Henley (I'm always so cranky at single focus career women in books) and I loved the cast of characters and her friends/co-workers.

Check out this wonderful book when it comes out January 19th!

A sweet, smart enemies-to-lovers romance. The blurb compares Shipped to Christina Lauren's The Un-honeymooners, which is spot-on (minus the steamy bits—Shipped is more fade to black). I adored the ship setting and how much detail Hockman included about the history and environment of the Galápagos Islands. Hockman artfully combines a workplace romance and a vacation romance, making this book a fun departure for fans of either subgenre.