Another delightful romp of a novel by Olivia Dade. This one is sure to please readers of her previous novels (although might not capture as many new readers as her other novels). All and all we love to see the representation in the rom-com space! A solid read.

No man is an island, but Peter Reedton wishes he were. He’s put most of his energy into his acting career, honing his considerable talent on small background parts. Now he’s landed a meaty romantic role in “Gods of the Gates,” and filming will send him to a tiny piece of rock off the Irish coast for several years.

Unfortunately, he won’t be alone. His co-star is a Swedish bombshell — and Peter’s most memorable one-night stand.

Maria Ivarsson is built like a Valkyrie and has the same take-no-prisoners approach to life. She’s determined to make their chilly Irish island into a home for as long as they’re there. Although close-up angles and close quarters only stoke the heat between Peter and Maria, they know falling back into bed would be career suicide.

We all love a found family and this book has that — but it also has a tight focus on our two leads’ inner journeys that the current wave of trope-forward contemporaries don’t always deliver. Part of that is the long time span: “Ship Wrecked” is concurrent with both the prior ones in the series, and Dade takes full advantage of having literal years of time to play with. It’s not as epic as, say, Aster Glenn Gray’s spy romance “Honeytrap,” but it’s pleasing to see a final series book that spans the whole “Gods of the Gates” production schedule. A banger of a finish, and an absolute joy.

This was fun and light and the characters were lovable. The premise was exciting but the overall book was about 200 pages too long. Edited up a bit and I think it could be much better!

This book cracked me up. The main characters were so relatable and I LOVED the positive body representation! There are not a lot of books with so much body positivity and standing up for yourself. I love how Maria chooses her mental, physical, and emotional health over everything else. It’s something that everyone should be doing.

Olivia Dade knocks all her books out of the park and this one was right in line with the others. I will be reading everything Dade publishes.

I enjoyed this book, but enjoyed the prior two books in the series more. I loved the plus-size representation, especially how Maria wasn't ashamed of her body and shape in any way. Peter and Maria's vastly different family circumstances was an interesting and engaging way to highlight their differences on their trips to their hometowns.

My issue with this book was that I felt like it was trying to cover too much time for one book. It took forever to get them together, so once they're together, I felt like that should be the end of the book. They live happily ever after. I understood the need for the falling out they had in the last 100-ish pages, but it just felt too long at that point. It would've made more sense to be a different book or something. The pacing was all messed up at that point. The first 100 pages took me forever to get through, then the middle 200 I devoured and then it slowed down again for the final fourth.

I was provided an arc for review; all thoughts are my own. I have purchased my own copy of the novel as well.

Olivia Dada knows how to deliver, and of course, she delivered with Shipped Wrecked. This novel starts off with spice and everything we love about a one-night stand. I love Olivia for this, and it really started the book off with me wanting more. The banter, pinning, and angst made this book what it is, and I loved every second of it; I loved both Peter and Maria and can't wait to see what Olivia has up her sleeve next.

- Workplace Romance
- One-Night Stand
- Friends to Lovers
- Forced Proximity
- Spicy

Steam 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕💕💕

Enjoyable but not gripping for me. Full disclosure, I haven't read the first two books in this series so as a standalone, it was fine but I feel like I might be missing some of the things I should know about some of the characters and back stories.

Before I even began Ship Wrecked not only was I predicting it would be a five star read for me, but I was expecting to love it. Part of what I loved about All the Feels was the character dynamics and development. And what I’ve learned is that often when an author excels at that particular aspect – making characters which scoop our hearts out – they can do it all over again. And it’s true! I adored Peter and Maria so much. They form the heart and back bone of Ship Wrecked.

Book Review: Ship Wrecked

"Ship Wrecked" sails into the tumultuous seas of romance, exploring the complexities of desire, career aspirations, and second chances. The story unfurls around Maria, who is faced with the reappearance of Peter, a one-night-stand from her past, now revealed to be her surly co-star on the set of Gods of the Gates. As they brace for six years of filming on an isolated Irish island, the magnetic pull between them is undeniable, yet their paths seem destined to drift apart.

Peter, driven by the opportunity to transform his career, is wary of the potential fallout from a failed relationship with Maria. Determined to maintain a professional facade, he grapples with the desire that still simmers beneath the surface. Maria, too, struggles with her feelings, torn between her attraction to Peter and her apprehension about the complications it might bring to their working relationship.

The narrative expertly delves into their emotional journey, exploring the delicate balance between professional ambitions and personal desires. The chemistry between Maria and Peter is palpable, and their rekindled passion leaps off the pages, making their internal struggles all the more poignant.

The author's ability to weave a tale of longing and restraint, juxtaposed against the backdrop of a film set, adds depth and authenticity to the story. The prose is evocative, capturing the essence of their inner turmoil and the fleeting moments of intimacy they share. The setting of a desolate Irish island serves as a symbolic canvas for their tumultuous love affair, reflecting the highs and lows of their relationship.

"Ship Wrecked" is a compelling exploration of love, sacrifice, and the difficult choices that come with pursuing dreams. It tugs at the heartstrings and leaves readers contemplating the delicate balance between love and ambition. For those seeking a romance that's as tumultuous as the sea, this book provides a captivating voyage into the intricacies of the heart.

This was an adorable book. I picked this novel out because of the cover and kept reading because I loved the FMC. Love that the main character is plus size, confident and social. Opposites attract when she meets the rough brooding man of few words MMC.

I was so ready to be obsessed with this book. I loved and adored Dade's previous romance in this series and the premise had me PANTING for this one. I think the premise isn't quite right, though, since how Dade paces the story changes the vibe a lot from what I expected it to be. I was expecting rivals-to-lovers or enemies-to-lovers basically. The characters have a one night stand and the shit goes up in flames but they have to spend YEAR together with only themselves and a small crew for company on a small island. There should have been ANGST, there should have been PINING, there should have been sexy mean banter as they slowly came back together. Instead, Dade, skips years in the book so, as readers, we jump from MCs not liking each other, sad boy MC feeling sad and bad to them being besties and basically in love and just not saying it. but we don't get to see ANY of that development. WHAT IS THE POINT THEN????? THAT'S THE POINT OF THIS KIND OF ROMANCE.

This is saved in part because Dade always writed beautiful emotions into her romances. Her characters are complex and funny and (my fav part) fat. They are witty and warm and fun. I think I just came into the story expecting something completely different, so even though the characters are wonderful, the story didn't fully do it for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC!

Maria and Peter’s relationship has been a slow burn for throughout the first two Spoiler Alert books but it’’s fire from page one in Shipwrecked. I was worried that the anticipation wouldn’t live up to my expectations for the pair. It did! Love them as friends and as lovers.

Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade had many of my favorite tropes including Grumpy Sunshine and 2nd chance romance. I also loved the plus-size rep in this book.

I received a review copy of this book from the author/publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

There were so many things I loved about this story—the positive fat rep; the open, healthy sexuality and confidence of the female protagonist; the quiet pining of the male protagonist. The structure of the slow-burn romance was unique, and I found it fresh and surprising. (Yes, even with the time jump!)

However...

The romance itself, when they are *finally* together, didn't quite work for me. Ack! I especially struggled with the conflict at the end.

I also think that this story is best read *after* the others in the series. I read (and really enjoyed) Book 1, but I haven't read Book 2 yet, and I felt like many of the group texts held too many inside jokes that I didn't appreciate enough because I was missing some of the background/context.

That cover, though. 😍

Overall, there is something I really like about Olivia Dade's writing style. I'm looking forward to reading whatever she writes next.

RATING: B

Olivia Dade is always a go to when I am looking for a sweeter romcom with fantastic representation. Truly the queen of plus size representation.

+ Grumpy x Sunshine
+ FMC & MMC Plus Size
+ Slowburn
+ Friends to Lovers
+ Second Chance
+ Coworker Romance

Maria and Peter are co-stars, but that's not the only thing that brought them together. Several years ago, they had a steamy one night stand where Maria disappeared the next morning without a trace. Now, back together for the next six years filming on a remote island, tension and chemistry sparks between the two--but Peter wants nothing to do with Maria after she ghosted him. As filming begins to wrap up, they once more are unable to deny their attraction and find themselves together, but distance in the real world could end up ultimately keeping them apart.

Ship Wrecked features not just a plus size female lead, but also a male one. A common pitfall when it comes to a lead with that body type is that the internal conflict and overall struggle throughout the narrative is "but can someone love me for who I am inside despite how I look externally?" Which, as a plus size person, is horrible to find not only in your own real life, but the fiction that you escape into.

I loved Peter instantly. Strong and stoic, he feels deeply but keeps it inside tucked under his grumpy exterior. His vulnerability is what made me love him most. Their chemistry is palpable, and steamy from the first opening line. His vulnerability is what makes me love him most as a character. Not only is the story swoon worthy, but had me laughing and tearing up as you go through their journey as a hopeful couple.

While you could read this as a standalone, I would definitely suggest picking up the prior two books first. There are many reoccurring characters and it does tend to get a little overwhelming from time to time with all the names.

Thank you to Olivia Dade and Avon/Harper Voyage for the ARC!

Love the tropes - hollywood romance and second chance romance are my go tos. It was sweet but not my favorite.

I think this was my favorite book so far in this series! I love the main characters they are both so sweet and I hope in their fictional world they live happily ever after! I will read anything this author writes. If you are looking for something sweet, sexy, and full of hope, don't look any further than Olivia Dade!

The slow moving beginning moved to a fun banter between characters of different places. Enjoyed the book.

This book finished out the series so well!

Maria has a one night stand with the man who ends up becoming her co-star on a fantasy show, that will shoot in a remote location for 6 years. She left him without a word, and he's upset about it. She'd be glad to pickup where they left off, but he won't have it.

Peter really felt something for Maria that night, and when she was gone in the morning, he was so sad. When he saw her again so soon and unexpectedly, he acted like a total jerk, and that set the tone for their next few years on set.

Maria and Peter both approached acting, and its importance in their lives, in very different ways, and this led to tension throughout. Maria was happy with her life, even without her job, but Peter only felt like he could prove he was SOMEBODY, through his work. Most of these differences came from their family situations and upbringing, and were understandable.

For a book that starts with a bang, boy was this a SLOW BURN! Their tension was palpable during the entire story, and I couldn't wait to see them come together again. Their connection and feelings were so hard won, and I adored them together, even when they were making boneheaded decisions.

While I didn't love this one quite as much as the earlier 2 books in the series, it was still wonderful, and I'm so glad I read their story. The final section of the book was like a big extended epilogue, catching up with all the beloved characters in the series, and I loved it so much. I can't wait to see what this author has for us next!