So I’ve always been a fan of the Don’t Catch Feelings trope. It’s a fun one when the characters truly believe they can have steady doses of each other and not fall in love. Shock of all shocks, that’s what happens here. But of course, Mac and Cole promised each other they wouldn’t be more than just “a cruise fling” (ohhh, is that where it comes from??) and don’t know how to parse through the feelings they’ve caught on the ship. Between Mac having PTSD from her last relationship to Cole having PTSD from his own past, it’s a wonder if there can be Happily Ever After with these two.

So here’s the thing though: I like this trope when done well. I’m not really feeling like this was done well. While I get there’s kind of a time crunch for this novel (it does take place on an 8-day cruise after all), I’m getting burnt out on the Insta-love trope as well. Cole, a man who is known for never having serious relationships – or any at all – suddenly finds that he can’t live without Mac, and will do anything to make it work with her post-cruise. I find Mac’s building feelings for Cole more believable, because even though her ex was a douche, she never closed the door on love. She just closed the door on it for now. She’s jobless, homeless, and boyfriendless in one fell swoop, I don’t blame the woman for wanting to get her shit together and get back on her feet before she brings another man in her life. Especially a man who seems to be waaaay more serious than expected.

I’m a fan of how the author portrayed the two main characters’ disabilities. Cole is an amputee from a tragic event in his past, and Mac is hard of hearing. Neither one of the characters shies away from the others’ disability, and finds them to just be a part of who they are, which is great! They are both cognizant of the others’ disabilities and do what they can to make sure the other is comfortable and having a good time. I love that. I’ll swoon to that.

I liked the side characters, both on the ship and off. Mac’s best friends Dani and Suzie seemed like a delight, and I would have loved to see more of them in the story. Alas, due to the premise, it makes sense that that wouldn’t work. I did like the emails sprinkled throughout.

Quinn and Rob were delights too; I just wasn’t a fan of the forced sparks between Quinn and Trent, Cole’s friend and employee on the cruise. It fell flat to me, and again, felt forced. Quinn could’ve been there celebrating being 30 and having the time of her life with friends, why does there have to be a kindling relationship that just… stops anyway? There’s potential for something more to happen in the end, but I’m not interested enough to care. Still liked Quinn though.

The ending is what made me mad. I don’t want this review to be completely filled with spoilers, so I won’t say what happens, but I’m just so bummed about the ending. I’ve read a few other reviews about “A Cruise Fling” and I’m seeing a consensus. The ending ruined it for me because I was rooting for these two to find happiness in the end and work on themselves to achieve that happiness. Even if that meant it wouldn’t work out between the two of them. Honestly I’d be fine if that happened; if they just went their separate ways but they were able to heal from the wounds of their past. Mac with believing that she is worth so much more than the life she settled for before the cruise, and Cole for healing from the tragic event that took his leg and being able to open up to people and open up to love again.

But this ending – UGH, it really put a big fat dud in that for me. A situation occurs where decisions had to be made in such a way where we’ll never truly know if that was what Mac and Cole wanted. I mean, I know Cole wanted it, but Mac? I don’t know. It felt… like she was kind of shoehorned into the decision she made for herself post-cruise. The epilogue comes out like she’s happy and it was a good choice, but I would’ve liked to see Mac as Mac, not as the woman she needed to become due to the situation that comes up.

Also “the situation” is talked about way early on in the book where the “surprise” wasn’t a surprise at all, so that was odd.

Thank you to Entangled: Amara and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to enjoy this novel, based on the synopsis and the adorable cover. Regrettably, I found myself inclined to give up on this book when I reached the 25% mark. I felt no spark between the characters and the dialogue seemed flat. If you want a romance loaded with cheese, this might be for you.

Thank you NetGalley for early copy! All opinions are my own.

This cute story starts with MacKenzie meeting Cole when his luggage is mistakenly delivered to her suite. This pair discovers a connection between them in a week long cruise. As they try to fight the cruise fling when it’s time to go home, they realize there might be more to their relationship then just a fling.

If you like light meet cute stories this book is for you.

I am really disappointed because I did not like this book. I went into it thinking it would be a short, fluffy easy read but I struggled to get through it. The concept was definitely there but the execution was not. It's not even 200 pages but it took me so long to read because I was just not enjoying it. Don't get me wrong there were some parts I did like but there was just some things that I could not stand. I'm all for disability rep but mentioning the characters prosthetic leg every other word is just too much it was so annoying. Like instead of just saying that the character kicked something it would always say he kicked it "with his prosthetic" and it just got to the point of being too much in my opinion. And once the bombing was brought up I swear it was mentioned like every other page, again, too much and annoying. It's also super insta-lovey I mean the guy was in love with her after like 2 days. I did really like the chemistry between the couple and I liked them together I just didn't need them to be saying I love you after a week of knowing each other. And the pregnancy too was so unnecessary. For such a short book too it was SO REPETITIVE. Loved Trent's character though!

I really liked the concept of this book, but I just think it was poorly done. The storyline seemed to be all over the place. There was a lot of details that I just felt irrelevant and it made me lose interest in the book at times. I enjoyed the characters, and I thought their commentary was fun. For such a short book, it was very repetitive and I just didn’t think that was necessary. It was almost as if the author used the repetitiveness as a filler instead of developing the story more. If you like an insta-love, super cheesy, almost cringy romance read - this one is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Brown, & Entangled Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This insta-love romance releases on April 3rd, be sure to check it out!

I was really optimistic about this book after reading the description but was left disappointed. I thought parts of the book were cringey and repetitive, and I was personally not a fan of the ending and accidental pregnancy. I don't think it was needed. I also was not a fan of the "instalove" between the main characters and found it unrealistic. The chapters felt really long, and even though they were named after different destinations, I felt the book lacked descriptions of the ports they were visiting, which made it harder for me to connect with the story. Overall, there were still parts of this book that made it a cute love story, and I thought the author did a great job of representing each of the main characters' disabilities, but it was not enough, and the book ended up being a miss for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review:
I've never been on a cruise and honestly never thought much about doing one, but this book has got me longing for the open ocean and a giant ship full of strangers and the experiences within. Mac and Cole are strangers but a chance encounter leads to them spending the week together. Mac is convinced these eight days are all they will have but Cole falls first and hard and he wants, for the first time ever, more.
Cole and Mac have some issues, both from past experiences and physical ailments that set them apart, and their story is sweet and heartfelt and you'll want to shake one or both of them throughout the story. Overall, I really loved their story and was so delighted by their adventures and their story. Reccomended for anyone who is looking for some adventure while stuck at home and the perfect beach read!

Synopsis:
Mackenzie Laurel is done with rotten lemons. Especially the guy kind. With no relationship, no job, and nowhere to live, Mac’s leaving reality behind to go on a luxury cruise. Sun. Sand. Ocean breezes. Heaven. Of course, a little fun in the sun wouldn’t hurt. And a certain green-eyed passenger might just be the thirst-quenching lemonade she needs…

Cole Matterhorn isn’t a relationship guy. Hell, he can barely commit to leftovers. Yet the second he meets Mac, there’s sparks—the kind that could mean some delicious distraction. Distraction that Cole desperately needs to escape from his work problems and the event that imploded any chance of his having a normal life.

Mac and Cole have more in common than just chemistry. She’s hard of hearing and knows a little something about not always fitting in—and that his prosthetic does not define him. For 9 days they’re both having the time of their lives, whether it’s their failed trivia attempts, heating things up on a Caribbean beach, or even a sexy karaoke serenade.

It was supposed to be a cruise fling. This is how Cole works after hus accudent. Close off to relantionships. And this is how Mac needs it to be. Her life is a mess, no job, no home and her future to figure out. But life sometimes surprise us and put people in our way that has the power to change our perspective and makes better people and see a future ahead. Funny, sweet and wonderful.

This book was truly not great. The authors writing style was young adult and the content was attempted smut. The book was set up for a really great story in the first 15%. While readers understand what the plot is, the execution of this book was not great.

Both main characters were bad and annoying. The MMC was obsessive with no clear reason to be. The FMC was annoyingly obsessed with comparing everything to lemons?

I only finished this book because I received it as an ARC.

Spoilers: The instalove and was absolutely ridiculous. How is he asking someone he barely knows to literally marry him??? Of course, it had to end on an accidental pregnancy.

Initially I was enjoying this book, but nearing the half way point I began to lose interest. I had to put this one down. Perhaps I wasn't in the mood. I'll pick this up and try again as the summer nears.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy.

1.5

There are many improvements to be made to this. The chemistry did not build well. I understand certain books are meant to be fast paced but the way the plot unfolded felt like the speed of light. Unfortunately, this book reminded me of the one direction fanfics I read on Wattpad that I knew were written by middle schoolers.

I loved the representation of handicapable main characters but that was the extent of what I liked about this.

A Cruise Fling is a light, easy, summer read. It’s the perfect book to take on vacation with you. Mac and Cole both need to make decisions about where they want their life to go. Mac is homeless, jobless, and newly single. Cole is running away from his PTSD and any sort of commitment. They both agree that they just want a fling for the length of the cruise.

I found this romance to be fun and heartwarming. Though the book is short, there is a good amount of character growth throughout the novel. Mac and Cole are able to learn things about themselves within and outside of the relationship. However, I think that the character of Cole could have been a little more developed. It’s stated that he has a fear of commitment, but all of his actions are completely contradictory to that. I liked how quirky the characters are, including the secondary characters.

The story does take place over a cruise, so if you don’t like a face paced romance then this book will not be for you. I do think that the end of the book could have been a little longer, but, overall, the book was well paced.

I would recommend this book if you a looking for a lighthearted, charming, funny romance.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I found this book lacking in believability despite the relatable premise. The chemistry between the characters, especially with the secondary romance involving Quinn, did not feel genuine to me. Additionally, the instant infatuation and possessiveness of the main love interest felt superficial and creepy rather than cute. The overuse of the term "fling" and the repetitive references to lemons and lemonade were also a bit overdone. Overall, I think there was a lot of missed potential with this book, and while the ending may be interesting to some, it felt like a nightmare scenario to me. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Oh my gosh!! Can I go on a cruise, stat?!

I LOVED every second of this story!!

This was my first book by Laura Brown, and it won’t be my last!


The characters were so loveable, the disability representation, the steamy scenes, all of it!!

My review will be posted on my instagram (Bookmarkedfavs) on pub day 4/3!

I understand why people don't like this book but I'm not one of them. It's kind of cheesy and unrealistic but who cares. They are adorable together and I love them. The fact that he is her best friend's boss makes it even more fun. Also personally I am a huge fan of accidental pregnancy so the ending didn't bother me at all, I loved it.

Loved ! From the writing to the characters, this was such a fun read. Perfect read for a trip. This was a great pallet cleanser of a story. The banter between the couple was perfect and I loved the dynamic of their relationship. As well as the ending was soooo cute. Highly recommend! Hope there is a second book coming!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Anyone who knows me knows this is my truth: falling in love on a vacation is easy. One time a guy kissed me by a lake in Montana and I was like…writing poetry about him for months, thinking can I have a cowboy wedding on horseback in the mountains? Fell for my bike tour guide in Paris. A massage therapist in Canada. The list truly, incredibly, goes on and on. So I WANTED to love this. But even though I can find the realistic aspect of just immediately being stupid about romance on a vacation, something about it just didn’t deliver in the believability category. And I really hate to say this, don’t like to ick on anyone’s yums, but this book gave me a very serious ick. So let me just…unpack this.

This story has a genuinely good premise and foundation that has so much potential. Who doesn’t fantasize about falling in love on vacation? The characters, at a base level, are really good characters that you’re rooting for- it’s just that none of the proposed romances have a fundamental chemistry, especially the secondary one with Quinn. Like I don’t think I understood why everyone was saying there were sparks because it just kind of felt like normal conversation to me? With the main relationship, the instant infatuation doesn’t feel very genuine and it’s maybe a bit superficial. The one liners this guy is giving end up coming off creepy when they could have been cute had their relationship had a little more context or depth to it. I don’t want to spoil the ending for anyone giving it a go but I didn’t like how quickly this relationship takes off and how possessive and controlling the guy ends up being. If I had a fling with a guy on a cruise when my life was going to shit, this ending would be my absolute nightmare scenario.

I think there’s a lot more that could’ve been done with this book, for example each of the chapters is titled after where they are geographically but you don’t really get the sense of any of those cultures or any unique activities specific to those locations. There’s quite a bit of overuse of the term fling and so many references to lemons and lemonade that’s just a bit overdone. But again such a good premise and I mean that ending isn’t for everyone but was definitely interesting to say the least.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was interested in the premise of the book and it started off seeming to be a fun read. I normally enjoy dual-POVs but this time it just didn't work for me and I found myself only wanting to read one protagonists POV and couldn't find a real connection to the characters. I wanted to DNF this book about halfway through but read until the end and felt everything was predictable.

The story & set up had me hooked from the start but unfortunately the story and writing seemed to fizzle about 50 pages in, the meet-cute was sweet but seems to just jump straight into Insta-love trope but in a repetitive way, the characters kept on saying ‘fling, fling’ & since there was little to no build to the relationship it just felt all a little rushed. Some of the writing could use work, phrases like ‘little swimmers’ wasn’t necessary and the duel POV’s were confusing to follow, especially when the friend group was in the conversation

Easy & light read though

3.5-4*

A cute and lighthearted rom-com with a lot of inclusivity and just a dash of drama.

My bias for this book is a little heavy, because I've always dreamed of going on a cruise. And honestly, this idea was what grabbed my attention initially.
This is a vacation read, from the whole setting to the feeling in general. It was like taking a break from anything real for a few hours, a much needed and well deserved holiday. The story is mostly laid-back, even if the characters have a somewhat rough past. I really enjoyed their time together on the boat and the side cast was also entertaining. What bugged me the most was the ending, which felt a little rushed. I wish it had been a little bit more developed and taken a little longer for the story to finish.
In all, this is a fun read, for when you need a pleasant read that doesn't take too much energy. The thing I most appreciated was how inclusive the book was, it dealt with their disabilities in a kind and respectful manner. Both characters were living their lives and enjoying their time, despite their problems in the past and present. Neither of them let their conditions refrain them from having fun and doing what they wanted.
It was my first book from Laura Brown and I liked her writing. The style was a little different from most of my reads, 3rd person pov that change between characters during the chapter. In the beginning it took me some time to get used to it, but not much and it didn't diminish the whole experience. I will be looking forward to reading more from her in the future.


Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

• Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity of reading this ARC and providing feedback! •