Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 4.5/5 stars

A heartwarming and bittersweet novel about grief, love, and taking chances. Love, Lists, & Fancy Ships is a character-driven romance about Jo, a yacht stewardess who has a list of 30 things she wants to accomplish before she turns 30. Dealing with the fallout of a toxic relationship and a family tragedy, Jo is trying to find herself, as well as her place in the world. When her two nieces unexpectedly show up for the summer, Jo must find a way to navigate finishing her list, finding new love with a hot neighbor, and maybe opening her heart to those around her.

This was such an emotional read that had everything - humor, banter, sadness, hope, and romance. I immediately loved these characters and the setting. I have never read about people that work on fancy yachts and have to entertain the rich and famous. It was fun and hilarious and I can’t wait to revisit these characters. As for the romance? Alex was dreamy..but a mess. Jo was lovable..but a mess. They were perfect together.

Fans of Float Plan NEED this book. I cannot wait to see what Sarah Grunder Ruiz writes next.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Such a heartwarming emotional woman’s fiction!l with below deck vibes. The character development was so well done. This is the perfect read for a vacation. Thank you Berkley for access to this ARC.

Dealing with the loss and grief over her nephew, Jo struggles to find her place in life. With a bucket list of 30 things to complete by age 30, the help of her teenage nieces, and falling for the new hot chef aboard the yacht she is working in, Jo has her plate full… all the while sorting her feelings and falling into this great big distraction. Giving in could be the best thing that could ever happen, right?

A beautiful story of dealing with loss, grief, and new found love, LOVE, LISTS, AND FANCY SHIPS read much like a Sundance indie film. Tender-loving sweet and almost somewhat satirical, it contained loads of family, relationships, and personal growth.

Thanks to Berkley for an advanced copy of Love, Lists and Fancy Ships.

I'm not sure even how to describe my love for this book. There is so much going on, but in the best possible way. This is a little bit deeper of a book than your normal romance with grief and death of a loved one and Sarah Grunder Ruiz did such an incredible job of writing the emotions and characters.

- Love the 30x30 list
- Alex (Hot Yacht Chef!)
- The fun world of a luxury yacht stewardess
-Jo's nieces
- Character development and real characters.

Go get this book now! SO GOOD!

This was such a good book! I was immediately immersed in the story and felt myself not able to put it down! For fans of Below Deck, I highly recommend! A very sweet romance, with little to no spice, but a lot of angst! Truly wonderful story of relationships and grief.

Jo Walker has been working on a bucket list of 30 items to complete before her birthday. After a family tragedy occurred, the list was put on the back burner. When Jo's two nieces show up for the summer unexpectedly, they take an interest in the list and convince Jo to complete every last ridiculous item.

I'll start this review with 3 simple words: READ THIS BOOK. No, but really. Don't be fooled by the cover and the description, it's so much more than a fun, light romance. You'll have feelings, you'll need tissues, and you'll be heartbroken all while laughing and falling in love. The tragedy the whole story revolves around is not an easy one to read about but it's beautiful to see Jo begin to live her life again and pick up the pieces with the help of the people that love her,

Don't worry, this book isn't all sadness. If you follow Sarah on Instagram (which you obviously should), you'll know how fun she is. Well, her personality is all over this book and that makes it even better. Who else would write about a hot yacht chef, karaoke, kissing strangers, and castles all in one book? When you're not crying, you'll be full-on belly laughing. The characters, the list, the adventures, it's all so good.

So if you're ready for your new favorite book, one about healing, taking risks, moving forward, romance, family, and more, pick this up ASAP!

Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

From the get-go, I knew I was going to love this book. As I laughed out loud and cried, this book didn't disappoint.

CW: grief, death of a nephew, death of a parent recounted

Jo's list of 30 things to do before she turns 30 was a fun driving force for the summer adventures. I loved that her nieces, Mia and Kitty, spent the summer helping her think outside of the box so that she could cross off the last few items on her list. I think it was a welcome distraction from the grief they were all in the middle of experiencing. It made me think of a few things to add to my list! I enjoyed the wildness that seemed to follow Jo's bestie, Nina, and how supportive Nina was. As well as the randomness and fun that Greyson brought to Jo, Mia, and Kitty. I hope we get to see more of all of these characters in Nina's book!

I just wanted to hug Jo. She had a tough go of it, losing her dad so young and having her mom check out, which made her pushing others away understandable. Watching Jo struggle through her grief, as well as Mia and Kitty's grief was vulnerable and real. Everyone processes grief differently, and I appreciated that Sarah didn't sugarcoat how it might look. This book shows what a ride it can be to even start a journey of healing and acceptance,

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Hot Yacht Chef, Alex. He was a cinnamon roll that just wanted the best for those that he loves. I loved how he embraced Jo and supported her through her grief. I loved that he was constantly bringing Jo food because of the disaster she is in the kitchen.

Also thanks to Sarah, I'm now wanting to watch Below Deck for all the drama.

Thank you to the author and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book gave me the feels. I laughed at some of the sweet antics and got misty more than once. It reminds me of The Guncle, with characters who are dealing with grief. It is very much about family and letting go with the addition of a very slow burn romance. Jo Walker works as a yacht stewardess and the charter season is just finishing. Her plans for the summer are to finish the last items on her 30 by 30 list. She's surprised when her two nieces (Mia 16 and Kitty 13), show up in Florida planning to spend the summer with her. There was a miscommunication with Jo's sister.

All three are still reeling from the accidental death of their 11 year old brother months before. The girls befriend a neighbor girl in the apartment complex and her single dad Alex happens to be the new chef on Jo's charter boat. Together they all try to help Jo finish her bucket list even if it is different than what she planned. There is a lot of love in the two families but drama and tension too. The nieces fall apart at different times as memories of their brother hit. Jo too has her moments. Both Jo and Alex have no plans to date but their friendship gets confusing.

I like that this is a more serious book than I was originally expecting from the cover. The author gets the teens right. There were moments when I wanted to throttle Mia and others when I wanted to wrap my arms around her to give comfort. Jo was lovely in her love and actions for her nieces. The families were the driving force for me, Alex and his daughter, Jo and the girls. The romance for me was just okay. Alex is swoon worthy, and so supportive as a friend but the few kisses that they share didn't move me to thinking they are in love and ready for a HEA. There is some language and intimacy is limited to some kissing. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was everything. Beautiful, funny, witty, and heartfelt. The balance of sorrow and joy, humor and heart was absolutely perfect. I inhaled like a breath of fresh sea air. I'm a Grunder-Ruiz fan for life.

I was pulled into Jo's story from the first page. I loved getting a glimpse into what life as a stewardess on a fancy yacht is like, and what happened to her family. The writing is wonderful, and I really felt for Jo and her two nieces, as well as her relationship with her best friend Nina and LI Alex. This book is fun, flirty, emotional, heart wrenching and heart warming all at the same time. I can't wait to see what the author writes next!

Love, Lists & Fancy Ships definitely hits that sweet spot between romance and women's fic. There's an absolutely lovely, wonderfully swoony slow burn relationship between our protagonist Jo and love interest Alex (aka Hot Yacht Chef). But this story is mostly about Jo and her grief—over the tragic death of her nephew, her father's death long ago, her mother's alcoholism, betrayal by an ex, her inability to make everything better for her family—and the process of her figuring out how to grab onto happiness despite all the pain. And even though Jo was dealing with some super sad stuff, it wasn't a book about sadness so much as it was about the importance of letting joy into your life even when it's scary. That made it work especially well for me, a reader who shies away from books on heavy subjects. I came out the other end feeling satisfied and not at all bogged down or anxious, which is something only a very talented author like Sarah Grunder Ruiz can do with subject matter like this. I'm now very eager to read Nina and Ollie's story!

Oof. This book y’all. I do not recommend reading the last twenty percent while in bed with your husband who is sleeping because yes, your quiet sobs will wake him up.

Jo works on a yacht and is basically living out that dream Below Deck life. She works with her best friend, has a cool condo in Florida, and is about to leave on a trip to visit five new countries, as part of her thirty things to do before her thirtieth birthday challenge. Unfortunately, her plans are thrown off course when her nieces show up in Florida, expecting to spend the summer with her like they always have in the past. Only this summer is a little different because it’s the first summer since Jo’s nephew was killed in a tragic accident. Jo had been looking forward to her escape, but she knows she can’t abandon her nieces when they need her most. And so she takes in the two teenagers and sets off on planning a summer full of distractions. But Jo hasn’t been dealing with her own grief, and is definitely not equipped to be guiding the teens through theirs. Luckily, the hot new neighbor Alex (who also happens to be the hot new yacht chef), has a teenage daughter and the three girls become instant friends. The group sets off to check off the final boxes on Jo’s list and lots of adventures ensue. But even though Jo and Alex clearly have feelings for each other, they both have a lot of emotional work to do before they could ever be together. Luckily, this is technically a romance, so they figure it out and live happily ever after.

This book will sneak up on you friends. At first it reads like a fun romcom, as we follow Jo on some of her more lighthearted tasks. We meet hot chef/single dad/neighbor Alex and I was buckled in for a summer romance on a yacht. And then all of the sudden, you’re so emotionally invested in these characters that you’re sobbing quietly in the dark of night because their grief feels so real and you just want them all to feel better. The overcoming of grief is definitely the center of this story and it was handled so beautifully it tugged on literally every single one of the heartstrings. I absolutely loved the relationship Jo had with her nieces, and the nieces themselves are so entertaining. I really enjoyed watching as Alex and Jo found their footing and discovered their relationship. I would have loved to see their relationship come to a head a little faster, but that’s mostly just me internally screaming “Just kiss already!” like I do at most romance couples. Overall, this was a stellar read, just make sure you have some tissues handy.

Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, and Sarah Grunder Ruiz for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review! This book was a lot heavier than I expected, but I really enjoyed it. It was about a lot of things, but most importantly family, dealing with grief, and finding and accepting the love you deserve.

This book follows Jo, who is a yacht stewardess, as she takes in her two nieces for the summer after losing her nephew, Samson. She decides to complete her “thirty by thirty” bucket list, which includes kisses a stranger, who turns out to be our love interest! Alex is also the new chef at her job, which means they will continue seeing more of one another.

It was a unique setting and I really enjoyed getting to see Jo interact with her nieces! It was bittersweet seeing them deal with their grief from losing Samson while becoming closer to one another. I also thought Alex was a fun love interest and I loved that he had a daughter as well that was his number one priority.

This isn’t a “sad” story, but there were a couple parts where I found myself tearing up which reading. This book is a perfect example of grief and trying to move on and I enjoyed it a lot. I’m rating it 3.5 stars and I look forward to reading more from the author!

This is a fun read that is half "women's fiction" (ie: Jo has her own issues and relationships that aren't romantic) and half romance. It would have made a great beach read if it came out a bit earlier in the year!

• r e v i e w || LOVE, LISTS & FANCY SHIPS [thank you to @berkleyromance for the free book] •

“Sometimes a yacht, a bold bucket list, and a kiss with a handsome stranger are all a person needs to dive into the deep end of life.”

What a sweet book about family, love and healing. Jo is about to turn 30, trying to fulfill her 30 before 30 list while taking care of her teen nieces over the summer after the death of her nephew. As the girls help their aunt check off her list, along comes a handsome single dad next door. The romance was a large part of the book but it shared equal time with her family. Both characters come with some heavy baggage and how their romance slowly grew was heartwarming and authentic. Wonderful debut and I can’t wait to see what is next in the series.

🥰really liked || 💗low steam
🤟 Zac Efron, a handsome chef, second chance romance
📚Evvie Drake Starts Over, The Guncle
🎶I Believe In a Thing Called Love

Yacht stewardess Jo is working to complete a list of thirty things she wants to do by the time she turns thirty. With only a few weeks to go, and ten items left, she's not sure she'll make it. Then, her plans get upended when her grieving nieces come to visit for the summer. The loss of their eleven-year-old brother has left Jo and her whole family reeling. At the same time, handsome chef Alex walks into her life, making her want things she can't have. Can she hold it together for herself and her family?

This is a heart-wrenching yet ultimately uplifting story of finding a path through grief to the life that lies beyond. It's more women's fiction than romance, with Jo's work life and her relationship with her nieces holding as much space in the story as her relationship with Alex. It's not a light read, but it mixes humor and fun in with the sadness (much like life). If you like romance or women's fiction, this is an emotional and fulfilling read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This novel follows Jo, who will be turning 30 with a list of 30 things to do before then with a newly added item: Mourn the sudden loss of her nephew, who also shares her birthday.

This story covers a lot, which is probably why I didn't fully enjoy my time reading it.

For one, I wasn't really a fan of the romance. Alex is a nice guy, single dad who loves to cook. However, their romance just felt bland, kind of forced at times. Typically whenever I read a novel with a romance, whether it centers the story or not, I can feel it. The love as it grows and blossoms, the pining, the yearning, the moment they come together after the miscommunication is thrown out the window. However, not there for me. Personally, I think this story would've been better if it just focused on Jo allowing herself to mourn and learning about herself.

Second thing that pretty much bothered me was that Jo wasn't allowed to mourn. She kept trying to be strong for her nieces and doing a not-so-great job (maybe because she has never been given the chance to mourn her own losses and trauma), so when she did try, it felt like her family was against her doing so. Which is difficult for me to explain without spoiling anything. It made me very uncomfortable when certain scenes came up. I understand that Jo is an adult, but she is still human. Let the woman mourn!!

Third, this book is 336 pages all around, perhaps 324 pages of actual story, and it felt about 600 pages long. A contemporary story, especially with a romance, in my opinion, should flow nicely and quickly.

If you're into boats, men who listen to pop & hip-hop and can cook, family centered stories or a story without any sex scenes in it, I recommend this novel. I know many people will love it/do love it, so please take my review with a grain of salt.

⭐️2.5 STARS⭐️

Where are my Below Deck fans at? Because I have the perfect romcom for you!

LLFS made my heart so happy. It tackles really hard issues with charm and a big heart. There is a banter that will leave you smiling. There are witty teens. A slow burn romance. Corny dad jokes everywhere. Friends and community that are there no matter what. And it’s all set on sunny Palm Beach and a yacht.

I fell in love with these characters and can’t wait to see what Sarah has in store for them over the next two books!

Thank you @lovearctually and @the.bookish.brunette for hosting such a fun buddy read and chat with Sarah!

cw: discussion of death of a child

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4316640880?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWbVav2PRSI/

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! Jo works on a yacht as a stewardess with her best friend Nina and meets single dad Alex through trying to accomplish a list of things to do before she turns 30. But though this is a story about lists and ships, and it has many romantic comedy elements, it’s mostly about different types of love (family, friendship, romance) and grief. Jo ends up taking care of her nieces over the summer in Florida while they are grieving the recent death of their little brother and Jo’s nephew. This book is light and heavy at the same time, somehow striking a great balance between writing grief so well, while also building upon friendships, comedy, and finding love. This book could be considered either a romance or woman’s fiction, but either way, this debut novel is full of love, hope, and beauty. I sometimes try to steer clear of books that tackle familial grief, but Grunder Ruiz writes well, giving grace to the reader by making them laugh and cry - sometimes on the same page! It’s not an easy read, but it’s a good read. I recommend this book for people who like to read about contemporary romance, fiction, and family grief.

I think it’s the season of amazingly strong debut romances because this one is another must read! I knew as soon as my friend Sarah at ReallyIntoThis recommended this for fans of Below Deck this would be the book for me and she wasn’t wrong. The BD piece is just a small part of what this one has to offer, it’s so much more. It’s about grief, family and found family, taking chances with a side of romance and humor. Basically everything I could want in a book and more, I just adored this one.

While I truly loved every aspect of this one the characters were the best part for me. This is so much more than just a romance, (although Jo and Alex were THE cutest!) it’s about Jo’s journey and her path to healing herself and her fractured family and the author did a beautiful job at portraying how you can process a tragedy and start to forgive yourself. You know how most of the time they’ll be at least one character in a book that you don’t like? Not here, I seriously freaking loved them all, Jo’s nieces Kitty and Mia, her BFF Nina and Alex and his daughter, Greyson. They were just the best little crew and I wanna hang out with them, ok? If you liked Float Plan you’ll love this one too, such an amazing, emotional and heartfelt read!