If you, like me, consider The Hating Game a masterwork of contemporary workplace romcom, I can report we FINALLY have a book that brings the same level of dynamic workplace drama, swoony romance, and crackling banter. I would even go so far as to say that Shipped improves on the model by surrounding our heroine with positive female relationships—something Lucy in THG was sorely lacking. Hockman’s passion for conservation thrums through the text without making this an “issues” book. Honestly, when I woke up at 3:17am today and couldn’t get back to sleep (thanks prednisone!), I wasn’t even mad—because I had Shipped to keep me company in the wee hours. Add this to your GR queue, romcom friends!

Wow I absolutely adored this romcom. The protagonist Henley is relatable, a workaholic and loyal. From the first page I was invested and routing for her both in her career and her love life. Grahem is such a developed character that he had me laughing and routing for her as well.

This setting is unlike one I have ever read. I enjoyed learning about the Galápagos Islands and could feel the beauty of nature all around from the authors description.

This book has everything and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a light romcom! I give this book five out of five stars. Thank you netgalley and publisher for this advanced read.

I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book! It was so sweet, hilarious, and the perfect enemies to lovers story. I loved the MC Henley from the very start. She is fierce, loyal, and works her butt off! Graeme was so easy to fall in love with once you work out his backstory (which you do waaaaayyyy before Henley does.) I was smiling and laughing out loud throughout this book, just writing about it makes my heart squeeze and have a big smile. Hockman absolutely nails this romcom and bonus, her vivid, fantastic description of the Galápagos Islands had me googling them and wanting to plan a trip there! I highly recommend this book!

I really liked this book. The setting was very unique and as someone who has zero interest on going on a cruise it almost made me want to try one. I loved the main characters and at first I didn’t see the point of having her sister come on the trip, but I came around to her. I enjoyed that the main character wanted to be good and her job, and overall I just really enjoyed this book.

Thank you so much to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy.

I loved this book so much! Such a cute, romantic story. Henley and Graeme are coworkers who start off their working relationship on a rocky note. When a work trip on a cruise line comes up, they are forced to work together and put their differences behind them. While this was a pretty typical enemies to lovers story, the cruise line storyline made me feel like I was on vacation. I loved learning about the Galapagos! I would highly recommend this book for people who enjoy reading stories by Sophie Kinsella and Christina Lauren.

I loved this book! Such a fun, light, summer (or any time of year) read!

Henley, the main character, is a hard working girl, waiting for a promotion. When the perfect position comes along, she thinks it's hers right away, but she's up against Graeme, a guy who she's only met remotely, but can't stand for a couple of different reasons. Since they work in the travel business, their boss sends them on one of the company's cruises to prepare a digital marketing plan so that he can decide between the two candidates for the promotion.

I loved reading about the cruise destination, as I've never been to the Galapagos. They were descriptive, very interesting and pulled me in. I also liked all of the characters in the story, the bits of humor thrown in throughout the dialogue, the plot of the story, and the ending of the story.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy.

“A sucker punch people don’t see coming”. This book was such a fun summer read. The description says a mixture of The Hating Game and The Unhoneymooners and I 10000% agree. Both main character were so easy to love and I’m all about the Galapagos adventures.

This book has such an even-flow for character development. I get nervous with hate-love stories, because I hold them to such a high standard as they are my favorite trope. But Angie does such a great job of giving you enough angst and slow burn to keep you reading.

Thank you Netgalley and Gallery Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Henley, our protagonist, is working her butt off at the expense of all else to meet her goal of being a director of something by age 30 and she's so close she can taste it. She's shortlisted for the promotion that could achieve her goal at the cruise line where she works. Graeme Crawford-Collins is the only other person on the short list, so they are shipped off to experience an under-booked Galapagos cruise with the task of each coming up with a new marketing proposal to boost bookings. The best proposal should get the promotion.

Here's where the publisher's blurb goes a bit over the top. Graeme and Henley aren't arch-nemeses; they've never even met and there are no epic email battles. In fact, one of the issues Henley has with Graeme is that his emails are so laconic. They are office rivals. Totally normal, totally healthy, totally relatable rivals... who are put into a pretty amazing competition. Why does it need to be more than that? I get that the whole hate-love trope, but this still falls in that category without making their relationship something it's not.

I largely enjoyed reading Shipped and with some revision it could be quite good. Hockman really shines when the characters get on the ship. As a merchant marine for 4 years working programs similar to the ones she describes, she is pretty spot on. (The one exception was the bizarrely condescending comment about going where docks don't exist. The presence of docks has everything to do with one's proximity to people who build docks and not the size of the boat you're on). Her descriptions of the activities and locations in the Galapagos really were a highlight for me and I think the story would have been better if this were the focus. The book really dragged for me because there was just so much going on; Henley's little sister shows up out of the blue with a situation of her own (and ends up on the cruise as well), she is repeatedly sexually harassed by one of the cruise customers (who we are supposed to feel sympathy for?), she has a capital T terrible boss, and she's been sidelining her friends so she has no resources from which to draw. Notice, that list did not include the romance that is supposed to be at the center of this story.

I think one of the reasons the romance takes a back seat is because Henley is pulled in so many different directions, she isn't particularly well developed. Despite being written from a single POV (thank you, Angie Hockman!) we don't really get much insight into Henley's motivation except that she hates Graeme and lives to annihilate him. As readers, we don't get key insight into why Graeme's perceived slight left her feeling so strongly until more than half way through the book. Knowing a little more about that stage-setting encounter earlier would help Henley come off less like a whiny, entitled brat (which to some extent, she's supposed to be but not to the degree that she does). So many times I rolled my eyes at her reactions and wanted to be like "This is why you aren't Tory!" I couldn't figure out why a guy as great as Graeme would be into her and when he lists off her selfless features I was actually caught up short because we hadn't seen that behavior from her. Also, there is a lot, like, a TON, of communicating with the chin; it juts, it pushes, it thrusts. Every chin is like a character unto itself. I'd love more explanation and less chin tilting.

What this story lacks is focus. I get the capital T terrible boss story line scores one for us Wellesleys everywhere and highlights Henley's massive shift without any sacrifice, but it overshadowed everything else to me especially because that's the focus of the ending. Again, I enjoyed reading this book and hopefully with another run through of the editorial process and some whittling, I would enthusiastically recommend it.

(Two factual corrections: Kayaks are propelled with paddles, not oars. Laughter comes from the trachea or more specifically the larynx, part of the respiratory system, not the esophagus, part of the digestive system.)

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you so much to Gallery Books and NetGalley for my advanced copy.

This book is pitched as The Hating Game meets the Unhoneymooners. Two books that I absolutely love. I would definitely recommend this book to fellow readers who enjoy those two books.

Things I Loved About This Book-

The Tropes- This book is enemies to lovers as well as a workplace romance. I also enjoyed that the main characters worked for a cruise ship company.

The Setting- The Galapagos Islands. I thought it was unique as far as tropical settings in books go. I really liked reading about the wildlife and the importance of conservation efforts in the region.

The Writing- very easy to follow. This was a quick read. I think this would get anyone out of a reading slump.

The Romance- I liked Henley and Graeme together. I was totally "shipping" them all the way through.

Why This Book Lost a Star-

My least favorite part of any review.
Even though I enjoyed the characters -none of them will be particularly memorable for me. The side characters were also kind of flat. =(

Overall- I liked it and this book was a great escape. Definitely recommend and will read more by this author in the future.

I first want to say thank you thank you thank you to Gallery Books /Headline Eternal for giving me a chance to read an ARC of Shipped! I absolutely loved this story!!

Angie Hockman's debut novel Shipped is advertised as a The Unhoneymooners meets The Hating Game. That alone had me sold and I knew I needed to get my hands on this book!!

The story follows marketing manager and workaholic, Henley Rose! She is one of my favorite female leads! She was so relatable, a complete badass and as someone who has spent her career working in marketing, I knew all of her feelings far to well! Working for a cruise line company and being up for a promotion, her boss sends her on a trip to the Galapagos Islands to have first-hand experience of one of their excursions, as well as spend some time putting together her promotion proposal.

Sounds like a dream, right?!

Well, she is not going on this cruise alone. She is forced to go with her nemesis, Graeme, the digital marketing specialist who is up for the same promotion as her. When she finds this out, she immediately puts "Beat Graeme Crawford-Collins" at the top of her task list! But once she meets him and gets to know him outside of work, things begin to change. But what about the competition for the promotion? Yikes, this could get complicated!

Hockman's debut novel is witty, heart melting, swoon worthy and filled with some "OMG" and "LOL" moments. It is truly the perfect beach read! So plan ahead for spring break 2021! I cannot wait to get my hands on a hard copy of this book when it comes out on 1/19/2021! Add this to your TBR list now!

I selected this book from Net Galley because I wanted something fun and light to read. I was not disappointed. It was a little disheartening at the beginning, as the main character exhibits some traits that are a little overused and don’t show hard working women in the best light - jumping to conclusions about a coworker, refusing to listen, etc. but she really does grown and change. The sub story, conservation set in the Galapagos was really interesting, and based on the author’s note, backed by research and experience. It added a little something extra to a traditional rom-com story.

Henley works for a small cruiseline and is up for a major promotion. Her opponent and work nemesis- Graeme - is also up for the same digital marketing position.
Her boss’s solution? Both of them go on a cruise together to the Galápagos Islands to experience the cruises, return and give him the best presentation ever.
Once in the ship, Henley and Graeme see their workplace banter may be more than that...

This is a fun and quick read - perfect for the summer! I gobbled this one up in one sitting.

Henley is a hard-working woman who is up for the same promotion as her work nemesis - Graeme. Her boss decides to send them both to the Galapagos to come up with ideas for their company's cruise and compete for the position, and it's all hilarity from there.

I loved reading about the Galapagos as not many books are set there - the description of the islands made me feel like I really was there along for the journey. While this is kind of an enemies to lovers romance, it's just from Henley's perspective as she thought Graeme was out to get her and it turns out he's actually a really nice guy. Henley really goes on a journey herself as she learns to find her voice and speak out for herself, and she really inspires us all to follow your heart and believe in yourself.

I would definitely recommend this if you loved the Unhoneymooners or the Hating Game. They are similar, but this book takes you on a journey to the Galapagos and has some really great supporting characters (Nikolai was hilarious and I loved Walsh) to give it its own flair.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review this advanced reading copy!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A tropical vacation being exactly what is on my wish list right now, Shipped blurb was right up my alley. The Galápagos Islands did not disappoint and I wished I was there as the author had done a really good job of researching. I also really liked Henley and her work ethics and all. The actual romance however was a little less exciting. The greatest sticking point to the relationship between Henley and Graeme was that it ultimately lacked tension and subsequently felt a bit flat. In a romance novel, the OTP journey is the most important and one should be very invested and sadly I was not in this book.

I will describe it as an average beach read. Nothing bad, but equally nothing that stands out.

2.5 stars

I enjoyed this book! I was in the mood for a light, fun read and this met the mark. Early on, I thought I might not finish it. A particular struggle I have with reading first person POV is feeling that the protagonist/narrator is too aware of their actions. For example, in Shipped the main character discussed biting her bottom lip and she was thinking, and I personally that took me out of the story. I don't like reading characters who sound as though they know they're narrating their actions. But I kept reading, and I'm glad I did. I really liked the ending, the friendships, the GIRL POWER — I love when everyone gets a happy ending, and this was worth finishing.

Henley is a rock star!!!! I enjoyed this book so very much. Henley is a total bad ass and Graham Cracker should be giving lessons to men world wide on how to treat women in the work place rather than competing with Henley for a promotion. Once I started this book I had a hard time putting it down. Mostly because Henley is so relatable. I enjoyed her character so much. Angie Hockman is being added to my list of must read authors. I already can’t wait for her next book.

Shipped is a fun enemies to lovers story. The book is hailed as a mix between The Hating Game and the Unhoneymooners and I would say it was a pretty spot on comparison. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and was rooting the whole time for both characters! Swoon.

I was provided with an electronic ARC through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

When I saw this book being billed as The Unhoneymooners meets The Hating Game, I knew I had to read it. I love both of those books, but The Hating Game is the book I compare all other rom-com books to. And Shipped did not disappoint.

Henley is a worker bee who is busting her butt in school and in work but kind of missing the rest of life. She gets added to a short list for a promotion against her nemesis, Graeme, and she will do whatever it takes to win. When Henley and Graeme are forced to go on one of their work’s cruises together, Henley finds out she doesn’t know Graeme like she thought.

Is this book exactly like The Unhoneymooners and The Hating Game? No. And why would I want it to be? Those books already exist, and I don’t want to read an exact copy of them in something new.

I liked both Henley and Graeme and was rooting for them both to get the promotion by midbook. I’m so tired of reading books where the male is over confident and seems to have no reservations about things in life. Graeme had depth. He was a bit shy. He was afraid of certain things.
I liked that Henley was a bit sassy and confident in her work. And I really enjoyed how she learned to stand up for herself.

I’m giving this a 4 outta 5!

Thanks SO much to Netgalley for this ARC!

I enjoyed this book so much! The description is spot on when it says that it is a mix between The Hating Game and The Unhoneymooners, but I think I liked it even better than the latter. I was obsessed with The Hating Game when it was released so it was a little hard for me to get into this book because the beginning is SO similar. This was the only drawback for me.. I didn't want to read the same book again. However, as the story continues and the characters change setting, I became much more interested. I teach 7th grade science so vactioning in the Galapagos is a dream of mine! I could not get enough of the detail and story telling of the island that Hockman includes. I also loved all of the characters, even though there is the main story between Henley and Graeme, the supporting cast is amazing. This is what set the novel apart for me, the character development of multiple characters and how they intertwine is so good! I will be recommending this book for sure. I loved it!

Holy sh*t I loved this? I'm so pleasantly surprised!

I requested this because when a book compares itself to The Hating Game, I have to. Shipped does nothing to hide the influence of the former book, given the similar tropes, but even beyond that it's so refreshing in other ways and both characters are so ADORABLE that I loved it more than I thought I would.

Henley Evans wants nothing more than to feel successful in her life, to earn a spot in an executive's board meeting and belong there on her own merit. When a promotion comes up at her corporate job for a cruise line, she's ecstatic to learn she's on the short-list, but so is her nemesis coworker who works from home that she's never met. Her boss wants them both to take a cruise and gain inside perspective on the region for their proposals, and finally being alone with Graeme seems like asking for trouble for Henley.

People who liked The Hating Game are going to like this, hands down. Henley is such a good character? She's driven and cocky when she should be, while hopelessly human when it comes to real fears and anxieties that she has tried too long to ignore. Graeme is pretty perfect, honestly, but that's what we kinda want sometimes from a love interest. He does the absolute MOST in this book, I appreciate him so much.

I wasn't expecting to like the side characters as much as I did, but even the small inclusions some had felt natural and well done. Even Nikolai!!! The ultimate surprise favorite was Walsh. I will admit, there's a scene where she opens up and it felt a little... cliche in how it played out, but things are cliche for a reason and it wasn't enough to damper my feelings.

Honestly, I read some parts of this book with a wide smile on my face and I never do that. This book is just... sweet. I adored it. Read it!