Could this book be described as Daisy Jones & The Six meets Titanic? Wait, scratch that! At least the ship doesn’t hit an iceberg, and Jack—pardon me, John—doesn’t freeze to death because his partner is too selfish to share her space. Okay, let’s stop comparing this book to other works and let me tell you how it made me feel.

I wanted to wrap John in a cocoon and protect him. From the beginning, I was firmly on his team. Micah, on the other hand, made some significant mistakes. She felt like the Yoko Ono of the group, tearing them apart a decade ago when they were rising stars at 17. She cut ties with everyone, released a solo album, and then disappeared from the music industry entirely. For years, she focused on living in Silver Lake (my personal opinion about that neighborhood aside) and helping her sister’s beauty salon while resting on her music industry fame.

Now, Micah’s father—also her manager—pushes her to accept a reunion gig, which involves performing on a cruise ship as part of a big TV show panel featuring their hit song. This means she must face her old bandmates, some of whom still hold grudges over the group’s breakup. Among them is Ryder, her ex-boyfriend, with whom she had a messy breakup. But the silver lining? She also gets to reunite with John, her former best friend, whom she hasn’t heard from in nearly a decade. Is John angry at her for ghosting him?

From John’s perspective, he’s been struggling to make a name for himself in the music industry. He shares a house with a large group of roommates who have become his makeshift family. John has quietly harbored feelings for Micah since they were kids. When she started dating Ryder, he kept those feelings bottled up and acted like nothing was wrong. Now, seeing Micah again and playing alongside her on the cruise reignites those old emotions. Can they still be friends after ten years of silence and exclusion? Or could they start over? The chemistry and tension between them are undeniable—so strong it feels like they might tear each other’s clothes off. But is this just chemistry, or is there something deeper that could change their futures forever? Should they take a chance on love again, even if it means risking everything?

I didn't hate this book, it just wasn't for me. I am not a huge fan of the musician/band romances, so it just wasn't my cup of tea. It was very well written, just not for me!

This second-chance romance brings plenty of emotional tension, centering on two former bandmates, Micah and John, who are forced back into each other’s orbit. The reunion leans into forced proximity—a trope that works well here, gradually peeling back layers of unresolved feelings and old wounds between Micah and John. They were former best friends/bandmates.

There’s undeniable chemistry between Micah and John, and the history they share adds depth to their dynamic. However, the miscommunication angle is leaned on a bit too heavily at times, which may test the patience of some readers. Still, the payoff is worth it.

The female main character, Micah, is delightfully messy—realistic, flawed, and emotionally raw. Her journey toward self-awareness is compelling, even if it’s sometimes chaotic.

If you're into romances with angst, tension, and a little band drama, this one hits the right notes—just be ready to ride out a few frustrating misunderstandings along the way.

I did not like this book… it was just kinda boring and the main drive of the relationship felt really physical rather than emotional, which is fine, just not my personal preference. I love reading any books about musicians, this one just really didn't grip me and I wish there was more yearning with the way It was set up. I mean in love since y'all were kids… gimme more lead up. But anyways, im sure some will enjoy this one, it just didn't work for me.

I always enjoy a childhood friends to lovers story and liked seeing their band reunite and bring Micah and John back into each other’s lives. I would’ve loved flashback chapters to their teen years in the band, but appreciated the dual perspectives you get from both characters.

Brave of me to read this when I have a DEEP and INTENSE aversion to songs in books. Also musicians terrify me bc what if they SING to me with EYE CONTACT. Lol but it was fun!

There really wasn’t much to the relationship? No angst, not a lot of drama, and it was once again very sweet (a theme of 2025 releases). Which is ~fine but JUST fine in my opinion since I’m looking for Big Emotions. For a band with a big breakup, there wasn’t much to it honestly. There was one token dick, but even then he was dealt with pretty cleanly and he didn’t really do too much on the page.

But if you’re looking for a low angst summery read, I think it’ll fit the bill. I’ve enjoyed every book from Alicia and this was really no different, I just wasn’t blown away. Both MCs began the book in love with each other so it was kinda just like…okay now kiss. But I loved that we got to see Asa and Lauren again!! And I always wanted to be reading the book and was never annoyed.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5


I received an ALC, eARC, and finished copy from the publisher. All opinions are honest and my own.

Rock star romance is one of my favorite genres, and I really appreciate the ways this is Not a traditional rock star romance - they hit it big as kids, basically - things fell apart, they lost touch. Time for a comeback - or a redo.

Micah and John were a sweet couple, each with their own hang ups in past and present that kept them apart. I liked seeing in memories how they were as kids, and then how they’ve grown and changed being apart for so long. The romance felt really genuine, the music talk was on key, and honestly that sounds like the best cruise ever.

Super appreciate no third act breakup and miscommunication trope! ❤️❤️ thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

Bandmates reflect on what drove them apart as a band on a reunion cruise for a show featuring their one hit wonder. I liked digging into the characters backstories and the development of their new romance.

3.75 ⭐️

Such a fun storyline! Childhood friends create a band in their teens, become one-hit-wonders, then break up and don’t speak until over a decade later when the band reunites for one more performance on a themed cruise. Micah, your avoidant black cat and runaway is full of conflicting feelings for her old best friend John, your typical cinnamon roll who’s been in love with her for YEARS.

This was so entertaining to read and listen to. Majority of the book takes place on the cruise ship which adds a level of forced proximity (good and bad) and tensions become higher. I thought all the band members were fantastic side characters and each added their own flare to the band dynamic. Loved Micah and John’s story and I’m excited to explore more books by Alicia Thompson! Thank you Berkley for the arc :)

4.5 stars. A soft and vibey estranged pining childhood friends to lovers, with a heavy dose of mid-00s emo nostalgia.

The band is getting back together for a nostalgia cruise, and after a decade apart, they confront the things that tore them apart. Most of the development isn’t plot, it’s internal, which really works for me personally (I love when characters learn and grow on page!), however I know that isn’t for everyone. John and Micah have so much history and love and grace for each other. I enjoyed watching them rediscover each other and work through their past to find a stronger future.

Super thrilled I was able to snag this ARC. Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley!!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the arc of "Never Been Shipped".

This was my first time reading an Alicia Thompson book, and I would recommend reading "With Love, From Cold World" prior to this book if you are in the same boat. While they are stand-alone stories, one of the characters from "Never Been Shipped" is introduced in WLFCW. I will be going back to read that now that I know.

The covers of Alicia Thompson books are so incredibly fun. I am obsessed with the vintage comic style of the artwork. I usually don't comment on book covers, but hers stand out to me.

Now to talk about this book. Never Been Shipped is a second-chance, friends-to-lovers, famous people romance that primarily takes place on a cruise ship. The cruise is for fans of a teen drama called "Nightshifters" that was popular 10 years in the past. Our main characters, Micah (FMC) and John (MMC) were members of a band (ElectricOh!- hated the name until the meaning behind it was explained, then I loved it) that got famous from a song that played during the "Nightshifters" prom episode. The other three members of the band- Ryder, Steve, and Frankie, are also present on the ship. Ryder and Micah were in a tumultuous relationship that eventually led to the break-up of the band, initiated by Micah. Oh, and p.s. John has been in love with Micah since they were children. This background obviously leaves to tension between bandmates.

The friends-to-lovers relationship that develops between Micah and John is both incredibly sweet and spicy. John is a very lovable MMC, whereas Micah isn't always easy to like, but becomes easier to understand as the book progresses. Their background as childhood best-friends really lends some depth to their relationship. And the epilogue is heart-eyes.

The only thing missing for me was more detail into the relationship that existed between Ryder and Micah, and I think more drama could have happened between them on the boat. For instance, it seemed like Ryder was trying to play it off for fans that he and Micah might be rekindling their relationship, but nothing really came of that.

I would recommend this for anyone who likes a spicy romance or books with a celebrity trope. I will circle back and read other Alicia Thompson books now that I know she's an author speaking my language.

What a steamy romance that will leave readers satisfied with the pining, the tension, and the resolution!

I will admit that I had a really hard time getting into the novel, as there were so many names being tossed around very early on. I didn't really understand the premise and hard a difficult time picking out who our main characters were going to be.

However, once they got on the ship, the story flew by at a breakneck speed. I was invested in the relationship, the backstory, they bandmates, and where we were headed. I loved seeing Micah and John find each other again, whilst also discovering what was important to themselves.

adding Alicia Thompson to my list of authors that I'm glad I gave a second chance. now I don't usually like to bring up what I thought of author's other books in a review for a book of theirs I just got finished reading, but it has meaning to my review of this book. I put down cold world because I thought it took too long to get to the main plot. I was about 10 ish percent of the way through cold world and probably around 90 pages in and I still had not gotten to the start of the crux of the issue and however they would have solved that. I thought to myself this is way too long for a book to get to its point and so I put it down. I will say that Thompson is very good at drawing things out, but there's a time and place for it. This book was the time and place for that. The tension was delicious and simmering and by the time I was at 15% and they were just getting to the cruise itself I felt like yes this is exactly where I should be right now and this is exactly how long it should have taken to get to this point. It didn't bother me that it had taken that long to get to the point. I loved it because there was enough plot in between that drove the characters to that point unlike cold world where I felt it lacked that drive that I was looking for. Cold world felt stagnant in its first 90 pages whereas never been shipped came to life under the guise of the drama between the bandmates and the pull and allure of a potential relationship between John and Micah. I was invested, I was hooked, I wanted to read more. And I did. I finished this entire book in approximately 4 hours. That's easy for me to do, but I have to be really into a book for me to not want to put it down for any reason whatsoever, and I did not want to put this book down. I loved the fact that the characters had depth but weren't so dramatic that their essence as a person was lost in the nitty gritty details of why they broke up as a band. I loved that there was a clear antagonist to the story and that the rest of the characters were lovable, because there are some books where there's a clear antagonist but the other characters are also unclear on whether or not they're on the main character's sides or they're just unbearable as characters to read about and I didn't find that here. I especially loved Steve and the fact that he was such a nonchalant happy-go-lucky dad who just wanted a picture of a famous person so that way he could brag to his son when his son was older that he met a famous person. didn't matter who the person was he just wanted to be able to brag to his son that he met a celebrity irregardless of the fact that he is pretty much considered a celebrity himself. I loved Frankie and their unabashed boldness and the way they carried themselves and how they took no disrespect from anybody. I love that when Micah finally stood up for herself it was not only for her but for John as well and I think that really solidified their relationship for me in that moment. I truly didn't have a single bad thing to say about this book. I have Thompson's other books in my library holds right now, because if her other two books are anything like this one, then sign me up.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the eARC, I always appreciate the opportunity to read and review before publication day!

As THE fan of friends-to-lovers (having lived it myself), I was immediately drawn to Never Been Shipped. This was painted as a story of reunited band mates / former best friends that have a second chance at what could have been, and who are still haunted by choices that they made when they were teenagers thrust into the spotlight. I expected the heavier themes around mental health and the discussions around what it's like to encounter fame so young, especially for Micah as the female lead singer. What I didn't count on was how the silly fandom events (complete with shapeshifter cosplayers), and the light absurdity of forced proximity on a cruise ship with Hollywood stars, turned Never Been Shipped into one of my favorite romance reads so far this year.

Beyond just the fantastic concept of a band reunion on a cruise ship with all the fun messiness that that entails, the use of dual pov is what really won my heart - Alicia Thompson's use of dual pov was masterful. The format was such a strong storytelling tool, often showcasing how John and Micah felt or thought similarly about something even after a decade apart, or highlighting that they both had done something in the past with similar intentions towards each other. I was blown away by this technique and how it really gave more depth to the character's shared history going all the way back to middle school. There's something special about the impact a friendship has on you during such formative years, the influence of the other person on who you will become down the road - this story felt like a love letter to that kind of friendship. All of this tangible history and the marks John and Micah's friendship made on one another really helped me root for them both right from the start, even through any communication issues or tensions they experienced.

Additionally: I loved our whole cast of characters in the band - they were so distinct and unique, all having taken different paths and ending up with different motivations and benchmarks for success and happiness. They were so fleshed out, it made me wish I could pop into this reunion and ask them dozens of more questions myself! Who did Steve marry? What stories does Frankie have from working with so many different bands? I want to know it all! I also appreciated the bisexual representation in Micah, and the nonbinary representation in Frankie, as well as the mental health representation in Micah's struggle with panic attacks. They all fit into the story naturally and seamlessly, and gave so much depth to all the characters and their dynamics.

A few small things that kept this from being a 5 star read for me:
- I felt like Micah's family was referenced several times as important in her life, her sister especially, and I felt like it wasn't really expanded on beyond John knowing this or that was important to her, and Micah leaning on her sister and the salon. Considering the role Micah's father played in the band's success and eventual breakup, I wish we had gotten a little more depth there. I also kept thinking about the moment where John's wondering about the ring her sister gave her and him wondering where it went. I'm sure there's something to be said about it symbolizing the passing of time and things changing while apart, but it felt like a few too many questions lingered because John didn't ask! I would have loved to see him actually try to bridge that gap in knowledge.
- Ryder's plotline felt like it had almost too quick of wrap-up, especially with the final full-band confrontation being off the page. I kept expecting him to pop back up after the final performance, while Micah and John were apart, or in the epilogue. I don't really mind that he didn't - but the fact that I kept waiting for it signaled to me that it felt a bit unfinished,
- In some ways I felt like the other band members (specifically Steve and Frankie) were a bit neglected, which made me sad because they had been friends with John and Micah for nearly as long as those two had been friends with each other! This was a very small thing for me, because there's only so much you can fit in one book, and I think it was actually a testament to how real the characters felt.

Overall I rated this book a 4.5 / 5 stars. This is a story of redefining yourself and reclaiming your passion, re-learning someone you once knew like the back of your hand, and how true bonds can't easily be severed (even after a decade apart). It was a romantic, yearning-filled story, with flawless use of both the friends to lovers trope and dual pov. If you love a thoughtful MMC, friends-to-lovers, band member power struggles and drama, and/or love stories about rediscovering passion for music or art, this is for you!

This book was INCREDIBLE! Alicia knows how to make you feel the yearning through the music, the light touches, and the longing stares. Packed with the perfect balance of angst, longing, and sexy moments, Never Been Shipped immediately landed itself on my list of favorite reads of the year. I read this book in one sitting and, despite the fact that I just finished it, I already want to experience it again.

3.5 stars

Their popular teen rock band imploded over ten years ago and they haven't spoken since. Now they've all been invited for a reunion cruise show, and reluctantly they all agree. But old feelings are still running strong, and Micah and John, once best friends and bandmates, are now wondering if they should give a relationship a chance. But will ex-boyfriends and fame be too much to handle?

This was a fun take on a second-chance romance. Micah and John's old friendship brought a lot to their conversations, but sometimes felt lacking as far as interactions with other band mates. An enjoyable read for those who are fans of the genre.

I ADORED this book so much. With Love, From Cold World is one of my favorite romances and I was glad to see some of those characters again. The PINING and YEARNING in this book, oh my lord. I ate that up. John is an emotionally well-adjusted man, which is hot enough in itself, but the way he was written? Immaculate, no notes. I love the way this author writes her bisexual leads. There is a comfort in who they are, that is never inn question the whole time and that's really meaningful to me.

I loved reading John’s story! He and Micah are such a match. I had a lot of fun reading this book, and I’m so happy to get an advanced copy to read!

Anyone who loved 'With Love, from Cold World' is going to want to grab a copy of 'Never Been Shipped' to see what their favorite background character, John, is up to. John and Micah were best friends growing up, and became one hut wonders when their band struck it big. That was ten years ago and when the band broke up, so did their friendship. Now they're stuck together on a fandom cruise and start to realize they might want to reunite more than just the band. Told with what is becoming Thompson's signature wit 'Never Been Shipped' offers readers a fun jaunt into the music industry (and fandom culture) that's worth the read. Will we get more books about Asa and John's other roommates? I, for one, really hope so.

Okay first off, overall I did enjoy this book. It was giving lemonade mouth. A group of teens get together, start a band, and have a whirlwind 3 years as rockstars. Then they break up, only to go on a werwolf? show themed cruise where they play their hit song that was featured in the show.

I think I would have loveddd to have flash back scenes. That would have added a lot more to the story, instead of as the reader, just being told about all these experiences they had. I also could have done with a little bit more of a slow burn. These two people had gone YEARS without seeing or speaking to one another. It just kinda happened too quick for me. I found myself skimming some of the pages - it both dragged a little and wasn’t long enough if that makes a lick of sense.

A good read, just lacked a few things to make it a great read in my brain.