Henley and Graeme, workplace rivals, are both up for the same promotion and are forced to spend a week on the companiy’s cruise ship to see who will get the promotion This was a quick, cute read and perfect for the summer. Because this book relied heavily on miscommunication as a plot device, the enemies-to-lovers tension that I love so much just wasn’t there. The conflict was resolved rather quickly but I found myself wishing it went on just a bit longer. I did find the ending to be very satisfying though and was happy that karam was served.

Overall, it was cute but I just didn’t love it.

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

For someone that read approx. -3 books in the beginning of February, I’ve finished a book in just one day - for the second time this week! Thank you to @gallerybooks, @netgalley, and @angie_hockman for a #gifted eARC of SHIPPED to review.

SHIPPED is a workplace, enemies to lovers romcom - and, as advertised, it is the perfect blend of THE HATING GAME and THE UNHONEYMOONERS. You get workplace competition over a promotion, a beautiful tropical setting, some women’s empowerment, a cute sister relationship, and a steamy connection!

I loved this debut novel and can’t wait to see more from this author. It was just a solid romcom with funny characters, and a surprising message around supporting women in the workplace thrown in. There was minimal steam, but lots of build up - but I know not everyone is a steammmmm l o v e r like me.

Looking for a great beach, summer or pool read - grab SHIPPED!


CW // workplace harassment, interpersonal violence

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of this book sounded intriguing to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during that 2nd attempt, I have only managed to make it halfway through so I'd rather stop here and state that this book just wasn't for me.

Shipped is the debut novel by Angie Hockman. In this story, we learn that it is never right to assume you know everything about someone just from the first meeting – especially if that meeting is virtual. Henley Evans is a Marketing Manager at a travel company who is one of only two people chosen for a high-level position. The other employee is Graeme Crawford-Collins. Graeme is a remote social media manager who is the bane of Henley’s work experience.

The dream position is contingent on who has the better proposal for boosting bookings on the cruise in the Galapagos Islands. Henley and Graeme meet for the first time on the Galapagos cruise. Henley realizes that Graeme is nothing like she imagined based on the virtual interactions.

Graeme is also impressed by Henley and through interactions on the cruise, they realize that what they have in common is more realistic and life-altering than they expected. Henley takes a deep look into herself and opens her heart to finding her true calling.

Why is life worth living unless you really live? Henley looks at all her work accomplishments and with the help of her friends, her sister, and Graeme, finds herself standing up for her beliefs and making herself heard.

Shipped encouraged me to look inside myself and see what my dreams are and how I can achieve those goals.

Loved the cuteness of this book. Usually not a fan of the “hate to love” trope, but it worked here. Shows also how women have to work harder to get recognition in the workplace! I needed a fun escape, and this was a good one!

Super angsty and romantic get away novel. I fell in love with the characters and the beachy scenes! This tropical rom com will have you laughing and swooning!!!

great romance novel with a strong female lead. it is hard, especially in workplace romances, to create a utopian balance of the roles men and women need to occupy professionally/personally. this book does a wonderful job balancing the need for strong women, who know how to advocate for themselves and a strong man who can be an effective partner without stepping on toes.

Henley is very career-focused-to the point where her personal life has suffered as a result. Henley gets offered the chance at a promotion but it means taking a cruise to the Galapagos with her work nemesis Graeme Crawford-Collins (who she keeps calling Graham Cracker Crumbs in her head which made me laugh every time). This was a great story for those who enjoy hate-to-love work frenemy type romances. Henley gets into some great scrapes along the way-loved the character Nikolai who chases her around the cruise trying to make passes at her. He ends up being a more layered character than was originally presented.
Parts of the ending were obvious to see coming but there was an interesting twist.
Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC in return for my honest review-albeit a late one.

This was a fun enemies to lovers romance, and most of the action takes place on a cruise to the Galapagos Islands - what more could I want for a satisfying light read? Well, how about a smarmy boss who needs taking down a peg or two? Add in some good friends, a really GREAT guy, a needy but strangely helpful sister and you have an entertaining tale. Having visited the Galapagos Islands once, I loved being reminded of some of the amazing features and animals of that special place, and the special plug for conservation really warmed my heart. It really made me want to return! There was a nice dash of humor and a little behind the scenes view of the cruise industry. I found the characters quite likable and the solution to the problems satisfying.

Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is a fully-engrossing enemies-to-lovers romance between two co-workers who meet face-to-face the first time on a company cruise to the Galapagos Is. They’re competing for the same promotion, and each need to come up with a digital marketing proposal. However, the attraction between them threatens to derail Henley’s plans as she comes to realize that Graeme isn’t the rude, conniving jerk she took him to be.

If The Galapagos Islands weren’t already tops on my bucket list, they would be after reading this book. The descriptions of the untouched flora and fauna of this unique place evoke the beauty and fragility that conservationists fight to protect. This fight takes center stage in the book when Henley comes up with an idea she hopes will win her the promotion and help our planet at the same time. The only problem is that she doesn’t want Graeme to lose. As they grow closer, they struggle between wanting to win with wanting to help each other.

Hockman touches on a variety of themes besides corporate politics, conservation, philanthropy, and romance to include domestic abuse, terminal illness, and the bonds of sisterhood (through both blood and friendship). It is a well-balanced offering of women’s fiction with a captivating, clean romance, female empowerment, and a colorful cast of characters. This debut author is one to watch. Give this to fans of Sally Thorne and Christina Lauren. Highly recommend.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Gallery Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

It took me a minute (read 25% of the book) to get engaged with it and there were definitely too many tangential plot lines for my liking but overall, I enjoyed the book.

I did almost stop reading when the sexist boss plot line was introduced because it's just so overdone and generally ruins the book and it definitely was one of my least favorite parts of this one.

I also have mixed feelings about the Walsh/domestic violence plot line. I think we were supposed to find Walsh endearing but honestly, her entitlement and inconsideration were awful and without upfront explanation, there was no excuse. Having seen DV up close, abuse is not an excuse to mistreat others and take advantage. Had she just been upfront, it might have destroyed the plot line but would have given more credit to DV survivors.

This book was honestly saved by Graeme. It was clear to me from the outset that Henley was misjudging him from the get-go so I appreciated him throughout. He was mature and emotionally engaged and almost made up for Henley's immaturity. I also loved the eco-tourism plot line.

Overall, it was a decent read but a lot of things that could have been done better.

This is so cute! I loved the co-worker competition and the cruise around the Galápagos Islands. Smart, driven female character and women who have each other’s backs helped make this one stand out from the rest.

This was an entertaining rom-com. I enjoyed the characters. It almost seemed like a fantasy with the cruise setting but it was nice to escape for awhile!

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this book.

This read was the vacation that we all desperately need while stuck inside of our homes. Shipped will transport you to the Galápagos Islands along with its main characters. I found that at times things moved a bit too quickly with the characters and would have loved for things to slow down in order to dive deeper, but all in all, this was an enjoyable read.

This was exactly the romcom I needed!

The setting was perfect and unique. Someone please sign me up for a cruise to the Galapagos! I loved all the characters, especially Henley’s sister😂

It was the perfect mix of romance, steam, and competitive nature as Henley and Graeme are up for the same promotion

If you loved the Unhoneymooners, I highly recommend this one! Such a fun read❣️

I enjoyed this book way more than I was expecting to. I loved how this is not your average cruise or location. This book reminds me of The Hating Game as Graham and Henley compete for the same promotion. The ending had a great twist and shows how a positive work environment should be. 4.5 stars!

Listen, I'm going to start off by saying if you are NOT a fan of The Hating Game, I think you will still like this one!! I was hesitant to read it b/c so many reviews so it is just like The Hating Game, but it is FAR superior! Yes it is an enemy to lovers story where they are both up for the same promotion, but that's where the similarities end. Henley and Graeme are actual ADULTS who treat each other with kindness and don't put each other down just because they are up for the same promotion.

I really enjoyed Henley's character. She's flawed, and learns to work through those flaws and ends up being a BOSS B*TCH. Loved her ending! I think the romance between Henley and Graeme could have used a little more oomph, but overall it's a cute book!

This was an absolute delight to read! It had so many fantastic supporting characters and a depth for the main characters that made me love them separate and root for them to be together. I’d love to see this made into a movie! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this gem!

Take me to the Galapagos! This reminded me a lot of Sally Thorne's The Hating Game, but admittedly I preferred the characters in Shipped more. Great pacing, character development, and a lot of interesting information about naturalism and the Galapagos. The ending was a bit too tidy for me, but an HEA none the less. Perfect getaway!

Wow, if this book is any indicator, we're in for a heck of a year when it comes to romance, because Shipped has set the bar for 2021 releases incredibly high!

Henley and Graeme work for a cruise line and are up for the same promotion, so their boss sends them on a cruise to the Galapagos to come up with their own individual presentations for their interviews. This sunny setting will give you MAJOR wanderlust but if you're like me and currently buried under 2 feet of snow while also battling single-digit temps, you'll really appreciate this mental vacation. Shipped combined so many different things I loved - rivals to lovers! forced proximity! competition! banter! - into one delightful package, but beyond that, this book really had a bit more substance to it than a lot of other romcoms, including both The Hating Game and The Unhoneymooners, which this book is described as mashup of (that description is not wrong!). I particularly liked how this book highlighted how much more difficult it can be for a woman to get the credit she deserves for her hard work, and the end of the novel was incredibly satisfying in that regard. I was sort of leery about some of the supporting characters in this book but ultimately was very pleased how their roles in the novel shook out. The stars of the show, though, are Henley and Graeme - their chemistry was just off the charts.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.