Thank you for the opportunity to be an early reader. I got about 1/3 of the way through his one, but it is a DNF for me. I don't have much to say other than I'm not super invested in either character.

Love a good enemies to lovers book. Even if they never truly were enemies. Will pick up Angie Hockman's next title

Shipped follows Henley Evans, a marketing manager, as she goes against her rival, Graeme Crawford-Collins, who is the remote social media manager, for a promotion as director of digital marketing. The two face off by going on a cruise to the Galapagos and drafting a winning proposal. However, as Henley gets to know Graeme, she realizes there's more to him than meets the eye.

This was a delight to read — I love a good rivals to lovers story, so I was immediately invested from the start. I really related to Henley — I'm always juggling many things at once and moving on to the next project without really taking time to be present. It meant a lot to see Henley go from being so single-minded about work to really learn to take time to be with her family, especially for her sister. I loved reading of Henley and her sister, as well as how they were really able to bond over the course of the trip. I also really loved Henley and Graeme's relationship, and how they were able to find a home within each other. Shipped made me nostalgic for a warm summer day in the Galapagos.

trigger warnings: death of a parent, ALS, mentions of a previous abusive relationship

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Henley and Graeme's story is adorable! They're both up for the same promotion at the cruise ship company they work at and they end up on the same cruise....together....in rooms next to each other. Though Henley is a bit unlikable in the beginning of the book, I grew to love her as the story progressed. She had a lot to prove and the ending was top notch. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite romances to read and this one was a stellar debut! Add in the scenery of the Galapagos islands and I felt like I was seriously on vacation! I was rooting for both Henley, Graeme (and Walsh!) as they all had some growth to experience on the trip. I closed the book with a sense of pride for the characters. I totally recommend this book if you want to feel like you're on vacation. :-)

Shipped is about two employees, Henley and Graeme, who work for the same cruise line and apply for the same promotion. Henley's manager treats her unfairly even though she has been working tirelessly at work for seven years and going to night school for her MBA. Graeme has been with the company for a year, works at home, and seems to get recognized even when he isn't worthy just because he is a guy.

Their manager sends both on a cruise to the Galápagos so they can create a proposal to boost bookings for their company. Whoever impresses him the most, will get the dream job. Henley and Graeme have never met in person, but there has been tension between each other through phone calls, emails, and video team meetings. Henley, along with her sister, work hard to keep their eye on the prize, but that becomes harder than she thought.

This rom-com was quick-witted, very descriptive, and characters that you will fall in love with. It made me want to add a the cruise to the Galápagos on my bucket list.

Thank NetGalley and Gallery Books for allowing me to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

This story is pitched for fans of The Hating Game and it has the element of competing coworkers, but it's not completely like THG. The story follows Henley who is up for a big promotion in marketing at a cruiseline company with her only competition being her co-worker she has never met who works remotely across the country, Graeme. Their boss sends them on a cruise ship to the Galapagos and whomever has the best pitch for marketing strategy gets the job. Henley does not like Graeme at all.

I liked this story and had initially planned on four stars, but the more I think back on it, the more I think it sits around 3.5 stars for me. There is a lot to unpack with each character. Sometimes I felt like the plot points moved too quickly and things kind of get brushed under the rug. I also am still not largely a fan of love fixing trauma. Otherwise, I enjoyed the cast of characters, the setting, and I especially loved the approach of Henley's strategy pitch (will not spoil that here). Overall, it was an easy book to enjoy and quite sweet while also touching on some heavier topics like death of a parent, abuse, and sexism to name a few.

Shipped was such a cute book! The characters were so fun and the story was so much better than a traditional rom-com.

Shipped by Angie Hockman was an amazing story. I loved the cruise to the islands and I loved that the fact that they were trying to recycle. I loved the descriptions of the tortoises and other species. My favorite being the flamingo description.

Shipped by Angie Hockman is a heartfelt hilarious romantic novel! I’m not sure if the tears in my eyes were from crying or laughing so hard!!!!! This entertaining book has an enemy to lovers types theme with a lot of wit and sarcasm in between!! This book was a treat to read and definitely put a smile on my face! I really enjoyed the change of pace from my usual type of book! Read it for a good laugh!

When I saw that this book was described as a mix of The Hating Game and The Unhoneymooners, I was so excited to read it. And it did not disappoint! So this is perfect for any reader who is a fan of either or both novels. This enemies-to-lovers story is a spectacular, fun read with filled with hilarious banter and so much chemistry between the two leads. Henley is a dedicated, smart and caring heroine who you can't help but root for. While Graeme is such a dreamy, supportive, sweet love interest that any reader can fall in love with.

Shipped is the perfect novel to escape into with entertaining characters, a beautiful setting and a swoon-worthy romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me an advanced copy of this book. This book was exactly what I needed during this time. I’m longing to go on a cruise. Thanks to the author I was able to travel to the Galápagos Islands with Henley, Walsh, and Graeme. I’m eagerly awaiting this author’s next book!

This is NOT "The Hating Game" meets "The Unhoneymooner" -- two of my favorite romance books. But it's still pretty good.
I really liked this book. I liked Henley and Graeme -- they were realistic main characters that I really rooted for, although Henley is pretty difficult to like. Also, I loved learning about Galapagos, eco-friendly travel, and small adventure cruises.
Both main characters were flawed and had things that they had to overcome for them to be together and that was portrayed very realistically.
I was smiling throughout most of the book as it's good and the banter between the main characters is funny without being obnoxiously clever.

What a fun read! Perfect for a lazy beach read or reading in a favorite chair. I enjoyed Henley and Graeme as they navigated an healthy competitive drive for the same job position.

What did I like? Such a sweet slow burn romance! Made me want a cruise to those Galápagos Islands. Staying home and reading about it is the next best thing I guess. Graeme was a heartfelt main male character as his plight toward romancing Henley becomes clear. The romance they share feels a lot like fate. Five huge stars!

Would I recommend or buy? I would probably never have stumbled across this book had it not been part of Brenda Novak’s book club! Another winner! I would recommend and I would definitely read more by this author!

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left a review! Five stars!

I was really looked forward to reading Shipped by Angie Hockman because I had seen it compared to The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren, which is a book I loved when I read it in 2019! An island setting, an enemies to lovers romance, work place romance, all good things in my romance requirements.

I liked this book. I think my romance preferences have shifted cause I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. It was super cute but I wish it had a little more oomf. But if you are a fan of closed door romance, this might work for you!
Synopsis: “Between taking night classes for her MBA and her demanding day job at a cruise line, marketing manager Henley Evans barely has time for herself, let alone family, friends, or dating. But when she’s shortlisted for the promotion of her dreams, all her sacrifices finally seem worth it.The only problem? Graeme Crawford-Collins, the remote social media manager and the bane of her existence, is also up for the position. Although they’ve never met in person, their epic email battles are the stuff of office legend.Their boss tasks each of them with drafting a proposal on how to boost bookings in the Galápagos—best proposal wins the promotion. There’s just one catch: they have to go on a company cruise to the Galápagos Islands...together. But when the two meet on the ship, Henley is shocked to discover that the real Graeme is nothing like she imagined. As they explore the Islands together, she soon finds the line between loathing and liking thinner than a postcard.With her career dreams in her sights and a growing attraction to the competition, Henley begins questioning her life choices. Because what’s the point of working all the time if you never actually live?'“ —From the publisher

What I Liked:

The Setting—The Galapagos will always make me think of Ted and Alexis on Schitt’s Creek! It was a fun setting, one I didn’t know a lot about and I appreciated the effort made on conservation.

The Character Names—This is so odd and specific I know, but I just thought all the characters were given such good names throughout this book!



The Side Characters—I really enjoyed getting to know everyone in this book! I thought everyone was funny and quirky, a good cruise crew.

What Didn’t Work:

The Romance—I really wasn’t invested in Henley and Graeme. I felt like it was really unbalanced and wouldn’t have labeled it was enemies to lovers. We also didn’t get to spend too much time with them. I just didn’t bu it.

The Conflict—It felt like a usual work place romance conflict with lots of miscommunication. Kind of just felt like Henley was a caricature of the woman in the office not taken seriously.

TW/CW: loss of a parent, power conflict at work

Character Authenticity: 2.5 Steam Rating: 0.3/5—totally closed door. Overall Rating: 3/5

Shipped by Angie Hockman is an interesting story. I was thoroughly involved right from the beginning and the interaction of Henley and Graeme, two employees of a small luxury cruise line. Henley become involved in contest to see who is going to get the all important job upgrade that Henley thought she was a shoo-in for the job. Henley and Graeme are to take one of the company's cruises. The cruise is to the Galapagos Islands. Now throw in Henley's sister, Walsh, who weedles her way into going on the cruise too and the story really moves along. The ship has many interesting characters both taking the cruise and working on the ship. The tourist destinations on the islands are wonderfully described. And then there's the environmental impact information that show you how our trash effects the environment. The story ends happily for all the little scenarios that run through the tale. I received a copy of this book for an honest review, which I am freely giving.

A fun "enemies to lovers" read. Given the cold weather, it was nice to escape with a tropical book. Shipped follows two coworkers, Henley and Graeme, as they embark on a Galapagos cruise while vying for the same promotion at work.

I loved the premise and wanted to love the book, but found Henley incredibly challenging the first half of the book. I don't have to like a protagonist to like a book, but I feel Henley's demeanor was so off-putting that it detracted from the rest of the story. She is demeaning to Graeme and her sister but cannot voice her concerns directly to them. I'm not sure if Henley grew on me over time, or if I got used to her, but I did enjoy the second half of the book more (minus the ending).

3.5 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I truly adore love/hate romcom stories. Shipped was no disappointment. Henley and Graham relationship while getting to know each other in person was full of snarky attitude and lots of laughs. Henley's sister and co-workers only added more fun and drama to the mix. I can wait to read more by Angie Hockman. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this delightful book for my honest review.
It will be on the library purchase list asap.

For those wanting to escape their surroundings grab a comfy chair and read this as you will embark on a cruise to the Galápagos Islands. The setting for this was such fun, the characters a pleasure to know, and the hate/love between Henley and Graeme was perfect.

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