This was a cute read! I liked the chemistry between Henley and Graeme and I liked the cruise setting. It was something different that I hadn't read before. I love a good hate to love and this fit the bill. Great read for a rainy day!

Thank you Gallery Books and NetGalley for this early review copy of Shipped by Angie Hockman! The description for this novel was The Hating Game meets The Unhoneymooners (two of my favorite romcoms) and boy, did it live up to those comparisons! This was such a delightful read - and one I binged in one sitting! I was laughing, swooning, or fanning myself non-stop while I read - which is exactly what I want for my romcoms. Henley and Greame had amazing witty banter, and undeniable chemistry. But what I loved most where the feminist and conservationist undertones. Angie Hockman used this story to promote female empowerment and her wish to help conserve the natural beauty of the earth without shoving it down her reader’s throats, which is not always easy to do. But she handled it beautifully. I definitely hope we can get some spin off books in this world for Walsh or Christina, because I definitely don’t want to say goodbye to it for forever!

This was such a cute, sweet and funny book. I loved enemies to lovers and the chemistry between Henley and Graeme was just SO good. Most of the book was set in the Galapagos Islands, which made the perfect romantic and adventurous backdrop to this story. I love how Henley came into herself and the strength that she showed as the story went on. It was really so heartfelt. Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the ARC.

Hate to love romances are my favorite trope, and Angie Hockman did a great job at making the progression of their relationship realistic and tender. I also enjoyed the growth of the characters throughout.

4.5 STARS

I was getting into a funk. I kept starting books and then just feeling no desire to keep reading them. Then I started Shipped and it kept my attention. It is slow burn, enemies to lovers, which is always a treat. I took half a star off because there are no sexy bits. They kiss a few times and you think you’re going to get a treat, but no. If it had sexy bits, it would be a five star read. The main characters are competing for a job at a cruise company. They go on a cruise to get ideas for their proposals. I enjoyed the travel aspect of the book. The characters were enjoyable. Shipped is a fun book with good messages. I look forward to reading more from this author.


I voluntarily read an early copy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 Stars)

Review:

Henley is a hard-working, career-driven woman who has one major problem... Graeme! Graeme, the man who seems to love nothing more than getting on Henley’s bad side, taking praise for Henley’s ideas and generally making her life more miserable.

The story takes place between Seattle, where Henley lives, and where her job at a cruise line is based; and on the actual cruise to the Galápagos. I loved the cruise setting, ensuring that the characters must communicate, because... well.. there’s nowhere else for them to go. This is the classic enemies-to-lovers, career-focused romance. The characters were diverse and felt believable, but something about this story just didn’t catch my attention in the way I’d hoped. Generally Shipped is a really cute book that I think others will really enjoy.

Publishing Information:

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. Shipped will be published on January 19, 2021.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of Shipped. The story of Henley and the cruise company she works for is such a great story. We learn about her and her relationship with her sister, we get to see how her relationship grows with Graeme and how her dedication to her job leads to more than she could have imagined. This story is fun, engaging and you get the added benefit of learning about the Galápagos Islands which is a treat in itself. Mark your calendar for January 2021 when this book hits the shelf. I can’t wait to read more from Angie Hockman.

I was hoping I'd end up loving this book but despite the tropes being right up my alley and enjoying the wonderful descriptions of the Galapagos and environmental call to action, things fell a bit flat for me. I still liked the book, don't get me wrong, but something about the pacing was a little off.

I wish we had gotten more of the buildup of Henly and Graeme's "stuff of office legend" rivalry rather than being told about it later as they're working out their misunderstandings. And, given the comp titles (The Hating Game and The Unhoneymooners) plus the buildup of great chemistry between Henly and Graeme I was a bit let down by the fact that this is a fade to black romance.

That being said, once I warmed up to Henly and Graeme I really enjoyed seeing the two of them together and I did feel a bit whisked away to the Galapagos with all the great description of wildlife, which is always nice in these non-travelable 2020 times.

Angie Hockman's "Shipped" was an enjoyable rom-com with a great conservation message. I felt the author did a great job of covertly weaving in her passion about the Galapagos Islands and supporting the ecosystem through charitable efforts with the easy, breezy fun of a romantic comedy. The coworkers enemy-to-lovers trope is fun and the familiarity of it helps the reader step into the story quickly. I would have liked to have seen more compassionate character development towards the beginning for Henley. I just didn't care for her or want to root for her and her reasons for her behavior and outlook on life were revealed in a chunky way later in the book. It was *nearly* too little, too late for me as a reader. I would have liked to have seen more hints worked in for Henley's character as well as Graeme and Welsh, so as a reader my vision of them could be more three dimensional by the time we reached the ascending climax of the book.
Shipped was a fun read, I don't think it lives up to the comparisons to "The Hating Game" and "The Unhoneymooners," but I think readers of those two books will find this one enjoyable enough.
Thanks for the ARC!

This was such a fun, fast read for all our romcom loving fans! I'm such a sucker for enemies to lovers and this one did not disappoint! I adored the main character and her drive plus her attitude was just so funny and relatable. I'm also such a fan of on vacations together because man the tension phew it was off the charts! If you loved the hating game or unhoneymooners this needs to be on your tbr next when its out!

I enjoyed this story! It felt a little rushed in certain places but the characters were likeable and the plot and conflict believable.

Shipped was a delightful romantic comedy, with quite a bit of self empowerment thrown in. Henley is a hard worker for a cruise ship company. She and her co-worker, Graeme, who works remotely, have a combative relationship that intensifies when they are are up for the same promotion. To gather ideas, both Henley and Graeme have to take a cruise to the Galápagos Islands. When they meet in person, sparks fly! Shipped was a fun read, and I also want to go to the Galápagos now.

First, thanks to Netgalley for the e-ARC!

I liked this SO MUCH! I blew through this in an afternoon and it was such a good weekend read. Often when books are billed as this book plus this book, it never adds up, but this one fits the description so well.

The thing that usually loses me in a trope-filled romance like this one is all the stupid problems that arise to keep the main characters apart. In this, though, every issues and backstory is so well plotted that I didn't feel like the author was just throwing hinderances in their way. I really liked both Henley and Graeme and rooted for them both. The slow burn, unsure romance absolutely won me over and the ending drama was so fun.

This is definitely a romance I'll come back to when it's published.

Charming! Sweet! Tender! Important!

These are words that immediately come to mind when thinking of Angie Hockman's highly enjoyable novel entitled "Shipped." At once a rom-com as well as a love letter to ecological conservancy, this story centers on the love-hate relationship of two marketing department staff members for an international cruise ship company who are forced to go on a cruise to the Galopagos Islands. Throughout the cruise their love for each other and for the natural beauty of the Galopagos grow in equal measure!

This delightful book has the happy, warm-fuzzy feel of a really well-done madcap rom-com with just the right amount of comic and serious. Hockman's serious side shines through in her ability to successfully weave a serious thread of ecological responsibility and conservancy into her story. Cudos, Angie Hockman! You are my kind of writer! Your personal connection to the Earthkeeping theme came through in both your fictional writing and your post novel notes outlining your own commitedness to appreciating and preserving this beautiful Big Blue Marble that we all share and that our children will inherit if our stewardship is true!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest and fair review. Many thanks to the author for writing a novel that not only kept a smile on my face but also reminded the reader that taking care of the Earth belongs to us all!

#NetGalley
#Shipped
#AngieHockman

This was a fun and light read, reminiscent of the unhoneymooners. I enjoyed the characters and felt invested in their relationship for the most part. However, parts of the novel felt a bit rushed/lackluster. Overall, I enjoyed the book as a light read.

This is a fun, reliable enemies to lovers romcom.

I think comparing it to "the hating game meets the unhoneymooners" is setting the book up for failure because it makes the reader compare it to some of the best contemporary romances around from the get go, instead of letting it stand on its own.

On its own, it's a good book. Is it as good as The Hating Game and The Unhoneymooners? No.

Did I enjoy reading it? Yes, definitely.

This book has been compared to The Unhoneymooners & The Hating Game. The Hating Game is one of my all time favorite romance novels, and while this was fun, it didn't quite live up to the hype. But I did enjoy it!

Initially I was very excited to read Shipped. Unfortunately, this story just wasn’t a fit for me. The chapters that I read were fine, but the characters never really clicked with me. As a result I didn’t finish this one. However, I still think plenty of readers will enjoy Shipped. So I encourage you to look for other reviews and make up your own mind about it.

Disclaimer: This copy of the book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley for this review, thank you!

3.5 stars

Where to start? I was originally drawn to this book because it was being compared to "The Hating Game" by Sally Thorne, "The Hating Game" is one of my all-time faves and I have read it at least 20 times - it has all the feels from laughter to compassion to anger and the one-liner bantering is utterly classic. So perhaps it is not fair for me to compare "Shipped" to "The Hating Game", but that's how it was presented to me, so that's the bar I held for this book. "The Hating Game" had me in tears so many times because I was laughing so hard - this book, never.

While this book isn't "The Hating Game", it's still a cute read. To me, it doesn't hold a candle to "The Hating Game', but enough about those comparisons - I think you now realize that I hold Sally Thorne's book on a pedestal.

This is the story of two corporate employees of a cruise line vying for the same promotion. Henley and Graeme are both being tested for the promotion by sending them on a cruise to the Galapagos Islands and whichever proposal for bringing the company more business in that region will win the new job. Henley and Graeme have never met face to face as Henley is at the corporate office in Seattle and Graeme works remotely in Michigan. But Henley holds a grudge against Graeme for taking credit for her work a year ago - and she does not forget and forgive easily.

What started off as a relaxing cruise quickly turns to Henley trying to show Graeme up and not let him get his foot in the door for the new job. She senses a lot of competition. But she also can't deny the attraction between them. But in the end, is there room for both Graeme and a new job in her life?

Sadly, this book fell flat for me. I just didn't sense the character development nor did I honestly feel the connection between Henley & Graeme. And Henley's sister, Walsh, just really got on my last nerve. There were a lot of side stories going on (grad school workload, spousal abuse, lesbian couple having a baby, dishonest boss at work, mother dying, total heartbreak and finally re-entering the real world, etc.). I think all those side issues really took away from the story and didn't focus on the actual characters enough (at least for me). Perhaps that's why I didn't feel as strong of a connection to this book.

I was provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.

I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn't live up to my expectations. I think it was a really good starting point and I enjoyed the writing style but I think the characters could have been better developed