*ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*

4.5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟⭐️

Ever since i read the blurb, i knew this was going to become one of my favorite reads this year! and i was right!
The Hating Game and The Unhoneymooners are truly some of my favorite books in the whole wide world and this book is my newest addition to that list!

Henly and Graeme are some of the loveliest characters i met this year in romance novels, but the character development of some of the side characters blew my mind!
Starting this book, i didn’t like henley’s sister, walsh. Or the russian doctor, nikolai. But after coming near the end of this book, i realized that they grew on me! i really loved walsh and nikolai’s side stories as they were very moving and very real. They actually joined my top-5-side-characters list this year (a list i didn’t know i had) from their funny interactions with our main characters.

My favorite thing about this book was that the main couple’s chemistry was over the roof. many writer’s don’t exactly know how to perfect that, but with this one i was really impressed!

It was a REALLY sweet book that got me out of a minor reading slump and im forever grateful!!!!!!

ps. Take A Chance On Me by ABBA is actually THE ANTHEM of this book and no i won’t take any criticism!

There are so many amazing things about Shipped! This fun enemies to lovers romcom took me out of quarantine and took me on an epic tropical cruise! I love the snarky banter between Henley and Graeme! I also love the love developed slowing and organically.

This is such a fun romcom! I've been craving books that take me places I can't go right now, so a Galapagos cruise certainly fit the bill. Henley is a challenging delight, whose commitment to work felt,,, relatable. Graeme took some time to emerge as a character, but it was worth it. The combination of office politics, adventure, witty banter, and female friendship made this a fun and easy read.

Graeme and Henley are competing for the same job at their adventure cruise company. Henley has been with the company for 3 years and is working on her MBA while Graeme is seemingly underqualified for the position and has only been with company for a short time when their boss sends them on a company cruise in the Galapagos where the enemies to lovers plot gets steamy and satisfying.
This book is an excellent feminist read where the main character gets her man but saves herself. I really enjoyed the career subplot and the fact that Henley and Graeme didn't have to choose between being together and Henley sacrificing her job in addition to the fact that Henley takes both her career / relationships seriously and makes them compatible together.

Enemies-to-lover romance at it's best. Henley is up for a promotion. The only problem is she is up against her nemesis, Graeme. The two are sent on a company cruise to the Galapagos Islands with the edict that whichever of the two writes the best story will get the promotion.
As they spend time together they begin to fall for each other and the competitive lines get blurred.
Love this book and will definitely recommend.
Thank you Angie Hockman, Gallery Books and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

When I heard that this book was being marketed as a mix of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne and The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren, I knew I had to read it ASAP, and I was not disappointed. Henley and Graeme work for the same company, but have never met, and she absolutely cannot stand him. When they are both offered the same promotion and must take a trip together to compete for it, sparks fly and Henley begins to realize Graeme is not as bad as she thought.

This book was the perfect read, especially right now with the stay at home order and Michigan winter weather. The imagery is so detailed and I really did feel like I was on a cruise. I felt like I was taking a vacation and exploring a new place every time I picked up this book to read. I liked the banter between Henley and Graeme, and I liked how their relationship was different from most enemies-to-lovers stories I have read. Both of these characters had some deep issues to overcome and I was rooting for them both the entire time. And can we talk about that ending?? That was amazing!

A lot of contemporary romance novels feel the need to be extra steamy, but I actually enjoyed that this one was not. Graeme was such a sweetheart and I loved how he respected Henley's boundaries from the beginning. I wish there was a bit more romance in this book, but I still enjoyed it greatly.

This book takes the best parts of The Hating Game and The Unhoneymooners and puts them together wonderfully. I still think I had more fun reading The Hating Game, but I definitely enjoyed Shipped way more than The Unhoneymooners. Definitely give this book a chance if you're looking for a sweet romance and a tropical getaway!

***Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Shipped will be released on January 19, 2021.

This book was described as The Hating Game meets The Unhoneymooners and since those are both books I loved I was excited to read this one. Enemies to lovers is one of my all time favorite tropes, I love some good snarky banter. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of a The Hating Game and The Unhoneymooners (Or Christina Lauren fans in general)

It tells the story of Henley and Graeme, two coworkers up for the same promotion at an adventure cruise ship company who have to go on a cruise together for work to the Galapagos. I thought the chemistry between the characters was built really well and the sexual tension came through clearly. No insta-love nonsense here! The characters were both well developed and had good character arcs throughout the book and both showed growth. The dialogue was well written and the book flowed well.

I also appreciated that with the workspace aspect. It covered the challenges of being a woman trying to move up in a career environment when there are mainly men in management. I think most women in the working world can relate to that struggle and it was well presented in this book. The descriptions of the Galapagos Islands were amazing as well! Unique setting for the story.

Overall this book was a really enjoyable read for anyone looking for a cute romance novel that has some substance and depth to the plot, and well developed characters. While the story does rely on consistently utilized tropes in romance novels (Workplace romance, enemies to lovers etc, forced proximity), I thought it still presented a fresh take and didn't feel like just reading another version of a book I have already read. The characters also had really unique names which I appreciated. The main character's sister was named Walsh.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and Gallery Books for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

Hardworking Henley Evans works for a cruise line. She’s finally up for a promotion, and the job should definitely be hers....until she finds out the man who she despises, Graeme Crawford-Collins, is up for the very same promotion. This battle is to be won on a cruise with the company where they will compete to prove their worth.

This book transported me to the place I needed to be transported to...a tropical, romantic, funny romp. Some say this hate-to-love trope is over done. I say give me more!

If you liked the Unhoneymooners, you’ll most definitely enjoy this.

Thank you NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Angie Hockman for the chance to enjoy and review this book.

WHAT IS SHIPPED ABOUT?
Henley Evans is finally given the opportunity for a promotion after working many years as SeaQuest Adventures' marketing manager while juggling MBA classes. If only Graeme Crawford-Collins, the social media manager, could get out of her way. Ever since he took credit for the viral video she made, he's been on her hate list. Unfortunately for Henley, they are up for the same promotion, and their boss wants them to prove themselves by going on a cruise together—the one their company advertises—and individually coming up with a marketing proposal to improve bookings. Whoever presents the best one, wins.

Content warning: Some details from an abusive relationship in the past.

THE UNHONEYMOONERS X THE HATING GAME
Shipped has been pitched as The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren meets The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, and I'd say it's accurate in a very *general* sense, so keep that in mind. I'd say the biggest reasons for this comparison are 1) the island exploring aspect from The Unhoneymooners and 2) the office promotion competition from The Hating Game. And, of course, all three novels feature the "hate-to-love" trope.

SO HOW WELL DOES IT TACKLE THE "HATE-TO-LOVE" TROPE?
Henley's reasons for hating Graeme make sense, and I love that it was believable. I wrote down in my notes, "I, too, am annoyed at Graeme for his behavior. If I fall in love with him by the end of this book, I am a SIMP." Did this book deliver? Yes it did. I am, in fact, a simp.

One thing I didn't like—and this is totally a *personal* preference I have for the trope—was how often Henley thought about wanting to kiss Graeme, even though she didn't like him. You can't soften the hate so early!!! The best thing about "hate-to-love" is witnessing the slow transition from one extreme to the other, and it ruins the experience if the "hating" part is not truly hate to begin with.

I will also say that the ending is not completely satisfying. There is an HEA (happily ever after), as all romances have, but not fully ... like, we only get the chase and then it ends. Now that I think about it, romance isn't the main focus of Shipped. It helped to guide the bigger story, which I'd say was about gender inequality in the workplace. Still, even with all that said, I had a good time! I really flew through it, and I especially loved all the embarrassing moments 🤣

ADDITIONAL CRITICISMS
• There are a couple of fat-shaming thoughts from the main character. Henley thinks, "I like to think that ... he has spindly arms and legs, cottage cheese breath, and a fat, beer-gut middle to match his personality," as if every person who has a "fat, beer-gut middle" is sneaky and entitled like Graeme. This is hurtful, even if it's not spoken out loud, and Hockman should've written something differently to describe Henley's hatred for him.
• I would like to start a petition to ban authors from using "purr" to describe anything that is not a cat 🤢
• To be completely honest, I don't think Henley is a very interesting character. But it kinda makes sense because she's so caught up in advancing her career ...

OTHER RANDOM THINGS I LIKED ABOUT SHIPPED, IN BRIEF
• We love a wholesome tipsy moment!!!
• Angie Hockman described their experience on the Galápagos Islands in such great detail. If animals and bodies of water didn't dreadfully scare me, I would be so eager to sign up for a cruise like this. I could really tell Angie Hockman is so passionate about ecotourism—I liked that it showed up here in an inspiring way, instead of preachy and forceful.

BASICALLY ... (TL;DR)
Okay, this all sounds like I didn't enjoy the book, but I'm really just being critical because I love romance a lot! The bottom line: I was very much sucked in by the romance!!! The tension was *chef's kiss*. Just be aware that it feels ... 65% romance and 35% women's fiction, and it's not as steamy as your average adult romance. Like a 🔥🔥/5. (I didn't mind this at all though. I go into romance novels for the emotional suffering. We love torture here ✌️)

Henley Evans works as a marketing manager for a cruise line and is shortlisted for a promotion of a lifetime. Henley would be a shoo-in if it wasn't for Graeme Crawford-Collins, the remote social media manager, and her arch-nemesis. The pair have never met in real life, and Henley would love to keep it that way, but nothing ever seems to go Henley's way. To decide who gets the promotion, their boss wants them to draft a proposal on how to boost bookings, and what better way than to send them both on a cruise to the Galapagos?

When the pair finally meet on the cruise ship, Henley is shocked to find that Graeme isn't like the one-word email reply frustrating guy she thought he was. She also learns that all their friction may have stemmed from a big misunderstanding. The more time they spend exploring the islands together, the more feelings start to stir, and Henley finds that the balance between liking and loathing is very slim. But is a fling with a co-worker worth all the hard work she's put into her career or should she finally follow her heart?

This was said to be a mix between The Unhoneymooners and The Hating Game, so I was instantly intrigued. I don't think this was as good as those two, but I did still enjoy this. Henley and Graeme are very determined characters and both want this promotion so badly, which leads to some fun bickering back and forth. That banter was the best part of this. Some moments had me smiling and chuckling to myself. Another thing this had going for it was the setting. This is a great alternative during a time where you can't really go on vacation. I do wish there was a little bit more of the actual romance because, at times, it felt more of just an office drama, and it's way more sweet than steamy. I'm not sure how memorable this will be for me, but it was cute for what it was.

This book has been getting a lot of hype and now that I've read it, I totally understand and agree with all of the high praise. I definitely get the comp to The Unhoneymooners, and think Angie Hockman is a voice to watch in rom-com. Henley and Graeme had chemistry from the start. Graeme was pretty much perfect and I loved watching Henley's character development. The stakes were, in my opinion, the perfect amount of "high" and while there was a moment I wanted to strangle Walsh, Henley's sister, she redeemed herself quickly. Between laugh-out-loud moments, swoon-worthy angst and kisses, and woman power, I'm confident this book is going to be a hit when it is released in January.

This book is marketed as The Unhoneymooners meets The Hating Game, and I have to say that is very true. The Galápagos Islands sounds like a dream. I admittedly didn’t know much about the area and looked it up while I was reading so I could really transport myself there. I love both characters in this book, the banter between them and their competitiveness kept it really fun and entertaining. Their chemistry was nice, even though it was a closed door romance. I smiled the entire way through, and this might be one of my favorite romcoms of the year!

Bottom Line: Highly recommend. I cant believe this is a debut book from this author, I cant wait to read her next one!

**I received a copy of Shopped from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

So much fun!! One of my favorite books this year was The Hating Game and this book reminds me of it! I for one would love to be anywhere warm and tropical right now. This book makes you feel like you’re on vacation and I loved it! It was a nice escape and I really enjoyed my time reading it.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Aside from the adorable cover, I was initially drawn to this book when I saw that it was being marketed as a The Unhoneymooners meets The Hating Game. To an extent, this was true.

Shipped follows Henley, an ambitions career-driven woman who is considered for a huge promotion at the cruise company she works for. The only thing standing in her way is her Graeme, a remote employee in her department who just so happens to be her biggest enemy. Henley and Graeme finally meet when they are sent on one of their company’s cruises to do research for their proposals- and the best proposal earns the promotion.

Shipped was a fun, light read - and much needed escape! I loved learning more about the Galapagos, and while the plot contained several predictable rom-com elements, the whole travel/cruise company element was something I hadn’t seen before in this genre. The book also focuses almost as much on elements outside the Graeme and Henley’s romance as it does the relationship itself.

However, the romance element where the book fell short for me. Graeme and Henley’s relationship felt rushed and not quite fleshed out. It didn’t feel much like an enemies-to-lovers trope because only Henley seems to think they are enemies. I also didn’t really connect with Graeme or Henley. They were both likable enough characters, but there wasn’t enough tension or reason for me to root for one of them over the other.

With that being said, the supporting characters - aka Henley’s solid girl gang- were a delight. The ending had a few surprising elements and a few unbelievable elements, but the best part of the ending was how these women came together to support Henley and each other (I won’t say anything else because spoilers are no fun).

Overall, I do not think Shipped lived up to its processors, but it was still a fun, enjoyable read.

3.5/5

Shipped is just about the perfect winter read. It takes you away to the Galapagos Island while also giving you enemies to lovers in a constant one-up battle. Sounds like bundled up romance novel goodness to me,

Shipped tells the story of Henley, a workaholic at an upscale cruise company who's followed every step and checked off every task to get promoted, and Graeme, her long-distance work nemesis who is the golden boy in her department, despite only being there like five minutes. Oh, and he's also after the same promotion. When their horrid boss forces them to travel together on one of the company's cruises to the Galapagos Islands to compete for the best marketing idea, it's anything but smooth sailing (cruise pun!).

Every review you see compares this book to both The Hating Game and The Unhoneymooners. The comparisons are apt - you have the best aspects of both of those books. While I didn't love this book quite as much as either of the aforementioned books, I still really enjoyed it and would recommend it. Henley is a great main character with a lot of ambition. She's hot-headed and quick to judge, but at the end of the day has a good heart. For one, I actually enjoy the focus on her career and didn't mind when the romance took a backseat.

Unfortunately, that may be due to the fact that Graeme is kind of a nobody. Sure, he's described as hot and he seems nice, but beyond that and a tragic backstory, I didn't really connect with him. I like them as a pair and loved that he was very supportive of her career and ambitions. I just wish he had a tiny bit more personality.

I definitely suggest checking this book out if you want a quick, fun romance. The setting of the Galapagos totally makes the book and put the archipelago official on my travel list. I highly suggest reading the author's note at the end to get more insight on her choice of setting. It makes this book just a little more special!

This line “Honeymooners meets The Hating Game’ in the blurb grabbed my attention as I loved both the books. Delighted to say it lived up to this comparison. Hate to love is my favorite trope of romance. I was lucky to get a chance to read this. Thanks to Netgalley for giving me an arc in exchange for honest opinion.

Henley Evans working as a marketing manager at ‘Seaquest Adventures’ cruise line. She is workaholic, doesn’t have a social life, and leads her life according to a list of tasks. Graeme also remotely works at the same company as a social media manager. They both got on the wrong foot and Henley loathes him as she believes he usurps her idea, passes it as his and basked in the glory.

Both are vying for the coveted Director position, and have to take a cruise trip together to Galápagos Islands to come up with a proposal in order to improve their bookings.

Both Henley and Graeme are strong characters. Henley is a smart, hardworking, passionate, and bad ass lady. Graeme retreated from the world while recovering from grief. Loved delightful Graeme for being considerate and chivalrous. The sizzling chemistry between them is cute. Henley’s sister and friends are all brilliant. I can see myself in some aspects of Henley.

Glad Hockman hasn’t crafted them as lust filled characters who fancy pants off each other. They started off as enemies, try to understand each other, clear their differences, become friends, support and protect each other, give space when needed, make the other see the error in their ways, help them in seeing what they are missing in their life. Inevitable falling in love with each other isn’t rushed and established with care.

Other than awesome characters, applaud Hockman for including wildlife conservation as a part of the story and shedding light on its importance without making the reader feel the story is going off the tangent. She beautifully brought the island to live with her vivid descriptions.

My most favorite scenes involve the post card and bathroom. Loved Noodles – her pet cat, wished to see more of it. I didn’t see the ending, loved it where everyone got what they deserved.

Overall, if you are looking for a cute and fun rom-com set in a spectacular location, pick it up.

Within minutes of beginning Angie Hockman’s debut novel, “Shipped”, I was hooked.
Henley and Graeme: enemies at first breath. When both are considered up for promotion at SeaQuest, both characters are eager to show their stuff. Only catch? They must put together a portfolio to present for promotion BY going on a cruise together.
This debut novel follows Henley and Graeme’s adventures on a cruise ship through the Galápagos Islands. Angie Hockman writes scenes that had me dying laughter, reaching for a tissue, and wishing I wear somewhere tropical. The author allows me to put myself in Henley’s shoes and truly embark on adventure. However, I yearn for more from Graeme. Potentially, the author may have the opportunity to open up and explore this character in an upcoming writing.
I urge you to pick up this debut novel, especially for the author’s readers note at the end. Trust me rom com readers, you WILL NOT be let down!

Shipped was a great romantic comedy! I found myself laughing out loud at all of the antics. It's been put in the company of popular titles like The Unhoneymooners and I think that is an apt comparison. Hockman is set to blow up with this title and I cannot wait to see what she comes out with after this.

Completely addictive, flirty, fast read. The temperatures are cold outside, but this book gave me a delightful escape to sunny, fun filled paradise where Henley and Graeme radiate some serious heat!

Right from the beginning, you see where the book is heading. Henley is a smart, ambitious, albeit lonely, heroine. Graeme is the co-worker with snarky email replies and tantalizing eyes. As soon as they are pitted against one another for a job promotion, tensions and sparks begin to fly. Although the enemies to lovers idea is somewhat cliched and overused, somehow Hockman made her take on it fresh and inviting. Maybe it’s because of the depth she puts into these flawed but loveable characters. Maybe it’s because she brings to life the magic of the Galápagos Islands, which leads you to wonder how Hockman manages to write a romance novel that also distinctively educates the reader on tender ecosystems and the necessity of conservation. I don’t know how she did it, but she certainly mastered both.

I sailed through this completely enjoyable book (pun intended) in two sittings and was sad when it ended. If you’re feeling the need to beat the winter blues, this is your cure!

Many thanks to Angie Hockman, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cute book! I love a good hate to love relationship. Henley and Graeme had such great chemistry, I felt like I could feel it through the pages! I loved the cruise aspect of the book and meeting the people on the islands and on the boat! 4 stars for me!

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for this advanced readers copy!