“A career was all well and good. But it couldn’t make him laugh like she did.”

✨𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆✨

Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5
Publication Date: 11/15/2022

It started with a bang. Literally. Now, I’ve never read Olivia Dade before, but somehow I wasn’t expecting that.

Maria and Peter have a one night stand. It’s allowed, they’re adults. But after Maria slips out without a word, hurting Peter’s feelings and his confidence, it turns out they’re about to be co-stars who spend the next six years filming on location on the desolate Irish countryside. Peter doesn’t want anything to do with Maria, but they still burn for each other. This won’t turn out well, will it?

The POV continuously changed between the two main characters, almost without warning, and it took me 17% of the book to notice it was happening. Previous to that, it just felt like something in the book was off, but I wasn’t able to place what.

The interludes between chapters were both hilarious and, at times, cringe. There were text threads, interviews, Con panels, and… AO3 fanfictions.

Olivia Dade’s ability to create real people with real personalities far exceeds any other author I’ve read in this genre. Peter’s surly inability to make small talk and relate to people speaks to me on a personal level. Maria’s sunny disposition and quick temper is utterly delightful. And the side characters! How they live and breathe just as much as the main characters is a true joy.

I was expecting contemporary romance, a romcom. I wasn’t expecting a book about how much the main characters wanted to have sex with each other. I wasn’t expecting this level of spice and I definitely wasn’t expecting it to be this good. I expected a lot of things, from an author I’ve never read, but I was absolutely wrong and I couldn’t be happier about it.

I feel like this book was 30% too long. At the same time, I understand why the story kept going. The characters needed to continue to grow in order to achieve a truly happy ending. But am I convinced it needed to be written? The jury is still out.

(And I really need to know where Maria was constantly hiding that jar of herring. That’s the real question here).

3 stars.

I went into this book with mixed expectations. I was not a fan of Spoiler Alert but absolutely loved All The Feels. Ship Wrecked is tucked somewhere in between.

I enjoyed the 'meet-cute' immensely and the actions of the characters checked out. We were introduced to two plus sized protagonists (which I was very excited about) Peter's personality was a bit bland for my taste but he made up for it in his character development later on. Maria shined bright throughout the story. I loved how she was herself at all times, no matter the situation/pressure she faced.

The side characters were a fun bunch who I enjoyed hearing about. Found Family is not one of my favorite troupes but I could appreciate it here. It felt like the world was actually revolving like normal and not just around the two characters we were focusing on. This goes into my next point of...

I wish the story focused more on the filming of GotG over the six years. I wanted to see the chemistry build there but it seemed to go from zero (first meeting) to one hundred (filming their final scene) in half a book. The romance and wanting during this section was exactly what I wanted from Olivia Dade and I will say she delivered. That being said, I think the beginning to middle of this book is the strongest part.

Now, the conflict in the end is something that was almost a DNF for me. It didn't make much sense for two people who are both eager to continue their careers to make a decision like they did. I understand where it was coming from, but I felt one of the characters was over reacting immensely for their line of CHOSEN profession. Then became slightly hypocritical only a chapter or two later ( it did manage to get a chuckle from me).

Even with this ending, I am still looking forward to the next Olivia Dade project that comes out. The representation was amazing and she handled topics such as adoption, foster care, cheating, death, etc well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Olivia Dade grabbed my attention on page 1. Literally. The. First. Page. Was. Hot.

Maria and Peter have a one night stand with intense chemistry. Peter awakes to find the woman who just rocked his world is gone without so much as a note. As fate would have it, they end up auditioning for the star roles of a TV series that will be recorded on a remote island for YEARS.

The chemistry stays, but the books switches to an angst-filled, slow burn that will leave you begging for more heat.

Can Peter and Maria work together professionally? Will the sparks between them start a fire?

With this book, you’ll get:

▪️Plus size main characters
▪️A strong female unwilling to bend when
Hollywood demands she change her body and personal practices.
◾️ A male MC who refuses to sacrifice his job or the happiness of the people around him to quench his own physical needs.
▪️A man completely enamored with a female who falls outside of societal norms.
▪️Forced proximity due to the recording of a long standing series, which takes place on a remote island.

It’s quirky, fun, and out of the box. Thank you so much for allowing me to read an ARC, Olivia Dade. I can’t wait to see how much everyone loves Ship Wrecked!

Another thoroughly enjoyable installment in this series! Fun, sweet, and sexy by turns. I really loved the main characters and their banter. I do think it faltered a bit in the third act -- the 80% mark Dire Event felt pretty forced, and like the characters had worked enough things out by then that it shouldn't have been such a big deal, but rather a small conversation. Still the book is wonderfully charming and smokin' hot!

Thank you, NetGalley for this advanced copy of Ship Wrecked.

This book hooked me from the very first scene. I really enjoyed it, even though the ending was rather drawn out. The book revolved around a B-list actor who has a one-night stand with a woman who leaves him in the middle of the night without so much as a word, only to find out they are both auditioning for a new upcoming series. Of course, they both get the part and are thrown together on a remote island for six years.

But what happens after those 6 years are up?

This book kept me engaged and hanging on up until the end. I would have given 4 stars if it hadn't been for the ending.

This was just dreamy. I adored the atmospheric location, the 3-dimensional, quirky characters, and the steamy banter.

Maria is a strong woman who knows her boundaries and what's important to her. Often in romcoms, it's the woman who's a mess, the man who has it all together. I appreciated that Maria was the confident, unwavering one, much of the time.

This is a slow-build but sometimes the pacing felt off or too slow for me. I found myself not as invested in their backstories as I would have expected. Perhaps it came too late in the story? I'm unsure. Though Dade has very deep characters here, I found myself not as invested as I'd expect. So, I'm thinking it was an out-of-sync pacing issue for me. : )

Overall, much enjoyed. Highly recommend.

This was great! I loved Peter and Maria, and I'm so sad to be saying goodbye to them and the rest of the cast of Gods of the Gates. I would love to revisit them in a novella (especially if it were about Summer and Carah).

Olivia Dade is back at it again with another book in one of my beloved series!

In Ship Wreaked, we finally meet Peter and Maria and see precisely what is going on between the two. I was excited to get into their story, but I was not expecting that first page! They start together as a one-night stand, and we start right there with them and watch their relationship that follows.

One thing I love about this book is we really get to see the scope of their relationship. They film together for 6 years (on an island with a small crew I might add) and we actually get to see how their relationship evolves over that time. And the angst it brings. And for covering so much time the pacing was well done and it was actually a very quick read.

The characters felt real and well developed, with a little bit of ridiculous humor thrown in. (The jar of fish- if you know you know). But I really felt growth and development were well done. They had a strong history and stayed consistent with their arc and story.

Overall- I think it was a great book. A solid (potential conclusion?) to the series that I have loved for years now. I won't lie- Alex and Lauren are still my favorite and this book did not beat them, but it certainly held its own against my OTP ;)

Firstly, I want to thank NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

This book is a fast hurricane of emotions in the beginning, and the male lead is crushingly mean to our heroine but then you see their first meeting hookup, turned enemies, turn into a delightful friendship but when they take things to lovers’ territory can they make it work with everything in-between them?

Peter is a little socially inept but comes across as a brooding man of few words who recently lost his mother and has a dysfunctional relationship with his father. He needs a big break after working tirelessly for years as an aspiring actor.

Maria is his Swedish goddess co-star, who takes no shit and is completely confident in her body and who she is. She’s also the same woman Peter had a memorable one-night stand with and very same woman tiptoeing from the hotel room early without saying goodbye or leaving any phone number behind. Leaving Peter triggered, hurt, and really pissed off.

They both then get cast in new TV series about Gods of Gates. They spend the next 6 years developing a friendship and barely restrain themselves in the process.

Overall, I liked this book and give it a 3.5-star rating rounded up to 4. Where it fell down with me is that I struggled to connect with the main characters at quite a few turns. I really wanted to see Peter do more to earn Maria’s forgiveness earlier on after his blow up and I felt the few times he did show his support it wasn’t much of a sacrifice on his part as Maria was often asked to sacrifice herself.

But wowsers the dialogue with other cast members and some of the menial back and forth was super witty and laugh-out-loud hilarious. For example, one of my favorite lines that I have decided will become a staple in my life:
“Make like Elsa and let it go”

From the moment Maria and Peter were mentioned in Spoiler Alert I was fiending for their story. Maria is a seemingly strong character who hides her fatal flaw exceptionally well. Having Peter as the main headspace for the story gave a realistic grounding for their romance. Olivia is excellent at creating familial dynamics of surrounding characters for a richer reading experience.
Her books are a joy to read and need to be read by more people.

This was one of my most anticipated reads for 2022 and I YELPED when I received an early copy! I LOVE Olivia Dade and especially the Spoiler Alert series. I love the plus size representation and the Hollywood vibes. Spoiler Alert and All the Feels have been top reads of mine and Ship Wrecked was no different! I loved jumping back into this world with the Gods of the Gates. My only comment was that I wished I read this closer to the other books in the series, because some aspects I remembered as I read. But overall, worth the hype that I had for this third book!

Thank you Avon Books and Harper Voyager for this e-ARC via NetGalley 💖

Olivia Dade does. not. miss! This exceeded my expectations as Maria and Peter were such minor characters in the previous books, so I didn't have much of a connection with them yet like I did with Alex going into All The Feels. But the characters really tugged at my heart strings, and Ship Wrecked may now be my favorite in the series.

Oh the tropes! I love how Dade fully embraces this part of the romance genre and makes it so much fun. Peter and Maria hook up at the beginning of the book as strangers, but Maria leaves without a word the next morning, leaving Peter bitter. To their dismay, they run into each other again at an audition for a massive TV show. They end up booking the roles, where they will be in scenes together almost exclusively and filming on a remote island for years. While there were moments where I wasn't sure how I felt about Peter, his character arc is one of my favorites I've read in so long! I very much relate to his introverted and taciturn nature, and appreciated how this was explored by the author. Maria discreetly helping him through social situations and building relationships with others particularly warmed my heart. She is a BADASS and I think we could all do with more Maria's in our lives. Dade once again has me wishing these characters were real people - they're so vivid and lovable.

This is really a 4.5 out of 5 for me. My main issues were based on personal preference. I don't love when a story jumps SO far ahead in time, especially fairly early on in the book like this one. While I think the author did a good job painting the picture on how close everyone had gotten over that time, 6 years is a lot and it took me some time to get used to that. I just have so many thoughts here, but this was overall a very sweet and fun ride!

This book was everything I hoped it would be. Olivia Dade has a gift for sparkling dialogue; I love the back-and-forth between her characters and the way they build up in-jokes and things that are special between them just as happens in real-life relationships. The interstitial sections are always amusing. And I appreciated the growth the characters experienced as they figured out what they each wanted.

I read an uncorrected proof provided free by the publisher; my opinions are my own.

I loved this romance featuring happy, unapologetic plus-sized characters. It's not a central theme, which is even better. Maria is from Sweden, which brings about a lot of language and cultural fun. Peter is from Wisconsin, which I love for my own personal connection as a reader from MN (and it's reference to Culver's!) The two characters are actors (I love a good Hollywood-themed story) and both encounter such real issues that can keep a relationship in jeopardy. Fun interlude chapters and awesome characters all around.

3.5 rounded up.

This one is kind of a hard one for me because I love the fact that both main characters are great fat representation. I think some of the issues surrounding their body diversity on a television show was very well handled. I absolutely adored Maria as a character and wish I could see her type more on TV IRL. Peter was also really interesting although at times I felt confused about his inner dialogue.

That being said I think this was the weakest of the three novels in the series. All the feels was so well plotted and written compared to this one. This book spends about six years of their life and the main and ending conflict didn’t really make sense to me. I think this book needed a little more meat to it or a different promise. Can you imagine how boring the TV they made was? Six years of just two actors on an island? I don’t think I would watch it ha.

Rep: fat FMC and MMC

Thank you Netgalley for this ark

Ugh unfortunately I could not get into this book to save my life. I was constantly confused and when I wasn’t confused I was just bored.

I really wanted to love this book however I just struggled to connect with the characters and felt that Maria and Peter didn’t really have great chemistry and they were just really emotionally immature.

Thank you the author, publisher and NetGalley for the early chance to read “Ship Wrecked.” This is the third and presumably final book in the series but, for the most part, it can be read as a stand alone. “Ship Wrecked” tells the story of Maria and Peter over the course of the six years they starred together in a fantasy TV series. They initially had a one night stand that ended awkwardly and their relationship progressed from friends to lovers over the course of the show. While the book is well written, it didn't really work for me as a reader and it was my least favorite of the series. I felt the pacing of the book was really slow and I did not feel the connection between Maria and Peter. Additionally, Maria as a character did not work for me. I felt her reactions to some events to be unbelievable and her treatment of Peter in the end was very hypocritical.

absolutely PHENOMENAL. I top romcom read this year and one I can't wait to physically own and shoot from the rooftops when its available

Oh how I adored Olivia Wade's ALL THE FEELS, a romance I must have recommended to everyone I know who loves the genre. The trajectory of Wren and Alex's enemies to lovers relationship was just delectable and both moving and hilarious. SHIP WRECKED takes place in the same "Gods of the Gates" story universe as ALL THE FEELS, meaning that SHIP WRECKED 's co-protagonists Peter and Maria play roles in the fictional hit tv series (which is clearly an affectionate nod to Game of Thrones). However, SHIP WRECKED has a very different feel than ALL THE FEELS (no pun intended, but hey okay). Instead of the core romance taking place over weeks/months, this one has a very slow burn of six years (!). It makes SHIP WRECK have less narrative urgency, though there's plenty of pining and yearning along the way—this is more of a gentle friends to lovers story with healing, though there's antagonistic sparks at the start.

Still, I loved returning to the GotG storyworld and spending time with Maria, Peter, and all the characters Dade so firmly established in the previous books in the trilogy. Therefore I'm giving SHIP WRECKED five stars, though I suspect it may be run to be a four star book for you if you haven't read the earlier books.

i couldn’t get into this book for the life of me! i was unfortunately bored throughout the whole thing. which is upsetting because this seemed exciting and interesting.

i struggled throughout this whole book. everything just felt off to me. at times i was confused on when things were happening, so i’d have to go back and check constantly. nothing really seemed to draw me in.

i truly don’t think adding these fan fic writings about them were necessary. to me, it just threw everything off. it would have been more interesting to read about them filming the scenes and acting them out but we didn’t truly get a lot of that. they acting felt so short? it’s like they were acting and then suddenly it was over and they were onto doing interviews.

i couldn’t remember any of the side characters, so i was confused everytime some new name was mentioned because their was so many.