Thank you NetGalley for a free eArc in exchange for an honest review!

This book is absolutely adorable! If you enjoyed The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren, then you would LOVE this one.
I love the character growth of both characters and the female empowerment! I do wish there was more smut instead of the “fade to black” scenes, but I felt the romance was beautifully written. It’s a quick, light, and heartfelt read!

This was super cute and exactly what I was in the mood for: enemies-to-lovers workplace romance that takes place on a cruise. If you like Hallmark movies, you'll like this one. It was just an easy read about two co-workers vying for the same promotion who finally meet in person and sparks start flying.

No smut for those of you interested in smut (I'm not so this was perfect for me).

I don't have much to say other than it was cute and fun.

Shipped is a sweet, hilarious, and downright enjoyable read! Angie Hockman transported me to new places within this novel and I wish I could experience it all over again! I adored this novel to pieces!! (Full review to Come).

A cute enemies to lovers romance that was a quick and enjoyable read. I wish there was a little more on the romance side though and was sighted bothered by how much Henley was always apologizing.

When the first few pages of a book piss you off, it's not always a good sign but in the case of Shipped, everything came full circle. Henley, a hard working marketing director for cruise line, is up for a promotion against the social media manager Graeme, a man she views as a rival after he claimed credit for her work. To choose who will receive the promotion, their boss decides to force them to go on a cruise to come with new marketing strategies for the Galapagos and, of course, they end up going the same week. As the two learn more about each other, they figure out some of their differences were really misunderstandings and sparks fly... But they're still both competing for the same job. The workplace sexism shown in this book was so real as Henley's boss continued to put her down in favor of her competitor, which made Henley's character growth to own her ideas and defend herself my favorite part of this book. I think a lot of women will relate to this, especially my fellow female workers in male-dominated fields. Overall, I enjoyed the characters and arc of this book and my only two (small!) issues with the book was the contrived reason the Henley and Graeme go on a cruise together and that the ending tied up loose ends a little too well. But that just makes this a perfect book for a day when you want a fun romance that will leave you with that happy feeling!

This was a fun, quick, breezy book. It would be a good book to read on the beach or on vacation. My only complaint is that one of the main characters was kind of annoying. But I still enjoyed the book, despite that.

Copy provided <i>gratis</i> via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

2.5, rounded up

This novel was described as being perfect for "fans of [book:The Unhoneymooners|42201431] and [book:The Hating Game|25883848]." In general, I like Christina Lauren's work, though <i>The Unhoneymooners</i> wasn't my favorite-favorite. However, <i>The Hating Game</i> is one of my all-time favorites. (It's also often invoked as a "if you like" book, so... grain of salt for real.)

I can see where the publisher pulled those comps.

<i>Plot Summary Ahoy!</i>
Henley Rose Evans and Graeme "Graham Cracker" Crawford-Collins are colleagues and frequent adversaries in the digital marketing department of Seaquest Adventures Cruise Lines. Pitted against one another for a promotion, they are forced/coerced into taking a Galápagos Islands cruise to, essentially, sample the company's product and develop a digital marketing proposal. Shenanigans ensue when it turns out they're both Ridonk Attactive (tm) and give each other the touchy-tingles.

The "oh noes we must vacations together away from all the world's eyes" trope is a high step up in turns of suspension of disbelief, but... okay, whatever.

The chemistry was well written. I'm a fan of a slow burn, high anticipation romance and this <i>mostly</i> fit that bill. <spoiler>Henley comes to the conclusion pretty quickly that Graeme wasn't the complete asshole she thought he was, however, and then it's just a matter of "I would sleep with him except for my ex's behavior." I hate the 'I'm holding someone else's actions against this wholly other person' thing; it feels petty and forced, both IRL and in fiction, so this was an annoyance to me. </spoiler>Not nearly as well done on this front as <i>The Hating Game</i>, either in the story or the story-telling, but tbf, that's a pretty high bar. There weren't a lot of high-tension, simmering moments, but the few there were, were good. All PG-13+ action takes place off the page.

I appreciate the spotlight on the ways men and women are treated differently in the workplace. Henley's and Graeme's mutual boss made me cringe in memory of behaviors I recognize: the infantilization, the inappropriate "casual" touching, the "innocent" glances. Minor annoyance that James was also painted as physically unattractive (and short, because of course he was). To me, that implies his behavior is worse because of those things. I'd have been more impressed if he was good-looking, even moderately so. These behaviors are not okay even if the guy isn't your sexual cuppa.
* Bonus points awarded to Graeme for<spoiler> noticing and calling it out</spoiler>; slightly fewer demerits for<spoiler> putting the onus to correct the behavior on Henley</spoiler>. Net positive for Graeme, but not a lot. That's usually how these things play out in real life, though, so this is a positive on the story-telling front.

I enjoyed the way the proposal development plays out and the ideas both characters come up with. (My MBA is in marketing and I lurvers Marketing's face, so I was Watching This Part.) Nerd alert: <spoiler>Genuinely loved Henley doing casual qualitative market research. A great way to break out of an ideological box and chart a new course. #brainstormingthecastle #cruiselinepuntotallyintended</spoiler>

<i>On to more serious spoilery!</i>
While the plot line wasn't the most original, I liked<spoiler> the ecotourism aspect and the creative re-branding of the company. <i>Might</i> have been better to bread-crumb the CEO's philanthropic/environmental interests earlier, but that might have tipped the hand, too</spoiler>.

This might end up being an unpopular opinion. I get that and I'm cool with it. I liked<spoiler> the determination on the promotion and the reason why. Henley's idea <i>was</i> great, but <i>wasn't</i> what a digital marketing director would be doing, so that was actually a fair call. I agreed with James: she was told to identify ways to use digital marketing to drive business. She did not do that</spoiler>.

I liked<spoiler> how Henley handled that situation of James stealing her ideas; direct, discreet action is the way to go there. She went to James' boss (privately), explained the situation, and provided her evidence. That's the best way to handle a conflict with your immediate supervisor. She didn't create a scene or get emotional: she presented her case and let her boss' boss handle it from there. Marlon handled it well; not all grand-bosses do</spoiler>.

However. I seriously fucking hated<spoiler> the instant-promotion to Chief Strategy Officer. That wouldn't fucking happen</spoiler> for So Many Reasons:
- <spoiler>C-suite positions aren't created out of thin air with less than two hours' notice</spoiler>
- <spoiler>Henley's four-year stint in marketing In No Way qualifies her for this position, track record of good ideas notwithstanding</spoiler>
- <spoiler>C-suite promotions aren't offered during a board meeting</spoiler>
= <spoiler>to an individual with no proven executive or even <i>management</i> experience and</spoiler>
= <spoiler>literally not even a completed MBA to balance it</spoiler>
I could go on, but I won't.

This <spoiler>huge WHAT THE FUCK "and then everyone clapped" bullshit moment, which I cannot and will never accept as feasible,</spoiler> ensures [book:Shipped|54304013] won't be on my re-read this. With an alternate<spoiler> ending of say, Henley getting a mentorship with the current about-to-retire-to-Barbados-with-no-clear-successor CSO, immediate pay increase, anticipated promotion in 6 months to a year</spoiler>, I'd have been well pleased with this.

Up until this point, I was leaning toward a 3.5-rounded to-4-star review, but that shenaniganry took off an entire star. It can keep the 'round up' for the resolution of the Walsh storyline<spoiler> and the possibility of a shipboard romance sequel without the fucking shenanigans which I 100% would read</spoiler>.

A fun summer read; enemies to lovers romantic comedy. Two rivals fighting for the same promotion trying to best each other while unwittingly falling in love. The banter between the two main characters is funny and witty at times but the plot gets a bit disorganized with multiple storylines. Regardless it still manages to be an entertaining read; thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review this novel.

I love a good rom com that brings the work hate/love ARC to reality. Shipped does a great job at building on work relationship tensions, but with a couple of fun twists. I love that in this story, the co-workers have never actually met (he is a remote worker, she is in the corp office), they work for a cruise line (FUN!), and get to take a cruise together to learn more about their company while they are competing for the same promotion.

The characters were fun and easy to like, the tension was just the right level, and the "hate" didn't last for long or overtake the story line. This book also has a fairly good focus on women in the business world, and gave some great perspective on some of the disrespect that continues to happen in the workplace.

The ending was a great fist pump of joy for me, just the right blend of happy ending and suspense.

What a fun read.

WHAT A BOOK! I truly loved Shipped by Angie Hockman. It really did feel like a combination of two of my favorite books: The Unhoneymooners and The Hating Game. I love a workplace romance, but a workplace romance/rivalry set in the exotic Galapagos Islands is even better! Hockman is funny and writes in a such a relatable way, I honestly thought she was inside of my brain at some points. Instead of writing a romance hero who would ride in on a white horse to save the heroine, she created Henley who with the help of her friends saves herself. Graeme is adorable, but far from perfect and feels more real. I’m a little sick of the “perfect” male lead and like that Hockman gave him a real backstory and room to grow as a character. In addition to the growth I saw in this novel there was great banter, solid writing and believable chemistry. This is a romance novel you can feel good about reading!

This was a cute and easy read. Perfect for the beach or vacation. It was sort of slow in the middle but the characters were still really fun!

I think I've read almost every enemies to lovers book ever published and this was a fun one to enjoy. Henley & Graeme (major points for name originality) have never met in person but have managed to get under each other's skin in the year they have worked together. Their boss decides to send them both on a cruise for them to research as they compete for the same promotion. Sexual tension, chaos amongst wildlife & a lot of subplots ensue. The fact that Henley & Graeme had never met in person before wouldn't have been so odd if there was a teensy bit more time spent building up their relationship. We got a few terse email exchanges and not a whole lot else so the tension and competitive spirit between the two isn't as much fun as in (I"ll just say it because the publishing blurb did it first) The Hating Game.

Henley is a strong character and I loved getting insight into her life and feeling pulled into a million different directions and how hard it can be to be a strong female in the working world. I loved that Graeme was a cheerleader for her but it just didn't totally make sense to me how he was so enamored with her so quickly. After awhile, I just went with it and enjoyed the ride.

I really enjoyed learning about the Galápagos Islands and the precious ecosystem and how threatened it is and how many creatures live there. I was constantly googling pictures so I could see what Henley & Graeme were seeing. I wish their Instagram feed was real! I appreciated the author's blurb at the end--you can tell this is a cause close to her heart and I really got a feel for the islands and since we can't travel right now, it was a welcome escape.

Overall, a cute & fun story and a great way to get your travel fix while we're all stuck inside.


Thank you to Gallery Books & Netgalley for the ARC!

This was the perfect wanderlust romance for quarantine! Synopsis: Henley is up for a promotion for her dream job at Seaquest Adventures. The only catch? She has to beat out her arch nemesis, Graeme, for the position AND she has to travel with him on a company cruise. Determined to put her best game face on, she is surprised to find that her "enemy" is actually quite handsome and dare she admit...kind and funny. This book is sure to bring you lots of laughs and swoon-worthy moments. Graeme and Henley's chemistry was off the charts and their adventures around the Galapagos Islands were breath-taking. I would definitely recommend reading Graeme and Henley's enemies-to-lovers adventure!

This was a great enemies to lovers romance book. I read it in one sitting because the plot was fun and the characters were great. I loved how Graeme had been interested in Henley. He was so kind to her. Henley's career plot line was very empowering.

Oh. My. God.

The thing that grabbed my attention initially about this book was it being considered a mash-up of The Unhoneymooners and The Hating Game: two of my all time favorite romances. Let me just say... it was a PERFECT combo of those two. This book is now added to my all time favs romance list!

This had EVERYTHING. It had hate to love, a fun summer setting, all kinds of sexual tension, an AMAZING hero, and a badass heroine. I was seriously hooked and in love from that very first chapter. This book made me laugh, squeal, swoon, and cry. I am seriously in love with this book!

💕🌿🌴☀️🌈✨🛳🏖

Thank you so much NetGalley for giving me an arc of this! I will most definitely be reading more from Angie Hockman in the future!

As soon as I saw that this book was being described as The Unhoneymooners meets The Dating Game, I was in! No questions asked. Enemies-to-lovers is my all-time favorite romance trope and add in a tropical setting? I’m sold. And let me tell you, this novel did not disappoint!

Shipped by Angie Hockman is story about Henley, a workaholic marketing manager trying to fight her way to the top of her company. She makes the short-list for a big promotion and soon realizes that her competition is no other than Graeme, her super hot arch-nemesis. Graeme and Henley are forced to go on a company cruise to the Galápagos Islands and at the end of the cruise, whoever has the best marketing pitch to boost sales for the cruise will end up with the highly coveted position. Henley needs to stay focused on the promotion but she can’t ignore the spark she feels with Graeme. But will their newfound attraction last when their career life is on the line?

Shipped was a hilarious romantic comedy about the importance of second chances and new beginnings. The characters were downright lovable with the perfect amount of charm, sarcasm, and wittiness. All I can say, is that I just absolutely ADORED this story and can’t wait to read more of Angie Hockman!

Huge thank you to Netgalley and Gallery for providing me of a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It is always a risk to describe a book by comparing it to others (especially beloved titles). The blurb for Shipped described it as "The Unhoneymooners meets The Hating Game," and it certainly caught my eye because of that. I went into Shipped expecting the fun of the Unhoneymooners and the magic of The Hating Game (one of my all time favorites). Unfortunately Shipped did not live up to these high expectations. I never really connected with the characters and had a hard time understanding why they were even interested in one another. In addition, I felt there was a total lack of sexual tension, which is so important in a romance novel in order to keep me turning those pages. On the bright side, the author did a great job of describing the adventure cruise to the Galapagos Islands that the characters are on. It made me yearn for travel and start googling cruises for a potential future trip.

Cute! 3.5-4 stars. This book has been billed as The Unhoneymooners meets The Hating Game, which is a tall order for any rom-com. I'm not sure it quite achieves that, but this is full of tropey goodness and fluff. I liked that Henley needs no man to save her, ever. That was definitely a high point. As a character, she's got flaws, but she ultimately doesn't need men to get ahead, even when they want to help her. The enemies to lovers plot is a little thin. If we're comparing to The Hating Game, Josh actually is an asshole, which is why that works. Graeme is not an asshole, Henley has just hates him based on a communication mishap, which is fine, but it resolves itself fairly quickly. In terms of the romance itself, the release is well-timed, since a lot of us can relate to the remote employee life right now. Smut factor is 1.5/5, though, unfortunately. Could use some extra spice there, because honestly, we do not come to this genre for light makeouts. I'll be interested to see what Hockman comes up with next though!

I am sure that my opinion is somewhat influenced by how much I am missing vacation right now, but this book was good! I loved reading about the Galapagos Islands. This is a region that I knew almost nothing about from a tourism point of view, and now I am ready to go! The romance was a bit predictable, but I did like how both of the characters were strong independent of each other. Overall, this book is the perfect read if you are missing out on your current summer vacation or are just looking for a little bit of escapism!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Good book, and better done than I'd been expecting from the blurb. Good use of comps--it was very like the Hating Game in ways i hadn't expected until I finished reading the book. All in all, I greatly enjoyed it--it was fast and enjoyable with well done characters and an interesting plot, and I'll definitely keep a look out for more books by the same author.