Never Been Shipped is sexy, full of longing, and second chances.
Micah and John were best friends as teens. Music was their everything, and quickly became their escape once they formed a band that sky-rocketed them to fame. Due to pressure and rocky band dynamics, their band implodes and they stop speaking with one another. More than a decade later, they are asked to reunite on a cruise to play their most popular song(s) that was featured on a teen supernatural tv show. With reluctance, the band forms, and John, who once stood by and just let life pass him by and was too afraid to act on his love for Micah, now has a second chance... and it seems that his attraction for her isn't one sided. After all this time, Micah sees John with new eyes and longs to reconnect. With the forced proximity of the cruise ship, and years of longing and tension coming to the surface, John and Micah need to decide to either take the risk, or walk away again forever.

Oh. My. God. ALICIA!! I've been a fan of Alicia Thompson for a few years now, and this book is probably my favorite one she's written! Special thanks to NetGalley for the ARC,

ALICIA'S BEST WORK YET!!!
Wow. I have no words, but I can easily say this book is perfect. I mean, who wouldn't want to read a story about two hot rockstars stuck on a ship together (for five days) after reuniting and playing together for the first time almost a decade after their band's breakup?
*silence*
Exactly!!!

This book is a second-chance and friends-to-lovers romance at its finest. Alicia included all the right tropes, and the forced proximity was the cherry on top. John and Micah have my entire heart, and I was rooting for them the whole time. Seeing how down-bad John was for her was perfection, and I can't help but picture his dad as his wingman. I mean, their chemistry was undeniable... we could all see it. I was kicking my feet reading after all their encounters, and I applaud John for playing the long game. It was worth the wait, and I adore them so much.

I seriously cannot recommend this book enough.
I couldn't put this book down, and I think about it often.

Thank you to Berkley for the ARC!!

alll the stars for Alicia Thompson's latest <3

I LOVE With Love from Cold World, but I think Never Been Shipped is a new favorite <3333

The yearning. The second chance romance. The flashbacks. The sensuality. Ugh!! I need them injected into my veins.

I fear I may not recover from this one

Never Been Shipped…gah, how clever! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, despite what my rather long consumption time might tell you😂. If you’re a fan of right person right time, band romances, a little drama, spice, and Alicia Thompson’s writing absolutely pick up this book when it releases on June 10!

Never Been Shipped follows a band reunion on a cruise- and if that’s not interesting enough. There are EXES IN THE BAND. This book was drama, a vacation, and cutie little music makers. 🎸🛳️🌴

In terms of the character profiles, I loved the inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community. Micah, our bi queen, is very out and proud!! And in the spotlight (love!). Frankie, a non- binary member of the band, their character & how they handle conversations with other band members about their identity is perfect & respectful. There are more, but I’ll leave it up to you to read about them 😉

Micah & John, you are so cute! I didn’t always feel the chemistry (heat?) between them, but at the end of the day real love isn’t all pure lust & sex. When we started getting into their backstories, their current lives, and how feelings shifted, it was AMAZING to see their growth. Individually & together. The smut was FANTASTIC...Alicia I didn't know you had it in you like that...please do it more!! ❤️

Together this book was 4 stars for me. I took a star off because it seemed to be quite lengthy and I felt like I was chasing the story. I wanted it to move just a bit faster!

Thank you Berkley Romance, Alicia Thompson, and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

If you’ve read Alicia Thompson’s contemporary romances, get her newsletter, or follow her on Instagram, you know how much she loves music. Never Been Shipped feels like her ode to music, because of how ingrained it is in the plot - a formerly successful band has a reunion on a cruise ship, to play their most popular songs that were part of a popular tv show (a la Teen Wolf x The Vampire Diaries vibes). We first met John in her book With Love, From Cold World, but don’t know much about him and who knew the curly-haired guitar player had such a story behind him! (And yes, we do see Asa & Lauren in this story and it is a delight).

My favorite things about NBS was how as the reader, you are very much in the heads of John and Micah’s dual POV. I loved both their perspectives and I definitely resonated with Micah’s anxiety/panic attacks. I just ate the story up with all of its heartfelt moments, quirky jokes, and hilarious banter! Suffice it to say Alicia Thompson stays a consistent and favorite author of mine. I’ll read and highly recommend whatever she writes! I’d read this book 100 more times and it would make an amazing movie!!

Trope wise, a friends to strangers to lovers is always exciting for me. Add forced proximity and second chance vibes? Yes and yes. The tension and pining is HOT! Spice level solid 3.5/5. There are trigger warnings at the beginning if that’s something you need to know going in.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was pretty good but I think this second-chance romance would have been better off without the whole "getting the band back together" plot. Ryder was so insufferable that any scene he was in, I just immediately wanted to skip.

I was expecting this to be a little more fun (band friends getting back together) but there was a lot of tension in the beginning and throughout and you could tell they didn't really like each other. Micah and John getting together after so long felt sort of abrupt? We, the reader, know they have feelings for each other but they never really discussed it so it felt like it came out of nowhere.

The epilogue was adorable and this was an easy read! I really enjoyed the deep conversations between John and Micah, this is where the book truly shines.

Alicia Thompson has done it again! I was so immediately drawn back into this world she created with her book With Love, From Cold World. I loved that we get to continue on in that world with the next housemate, John.

Read this one for:
Childhood friends to lovers
Rockstars from a one hit wonder band
Forced Proximity on a cruise ship
Only one bed
He's gone for her

Micah and John grew up being best friends and starting a band together. That band took off because they played a pivotal song on a cult following TV show. The band broke up when Micah left it to have her own solo career. Fast forward to today when they head to a cruise for the TV show to perform their songs. The problem is that no one has spoken in years, and there's a lot of baggage between all the band members and especially a lack of closure between John and Micah.

When Micah and John find themselves thrown together again, the past can't be ignored. They start to unravel what happened so many years ago, and rebuild the friendship they had. The thing is, they can't deny the chemistry that sparks between them, and soon they find themselves tangled up with one another in the sheets. They have to figure out if this is going to mean more, or just a fling on a cruise.

I was so engrossed in this story wanting to find out what happened that broke up the band, and the relationship that existed between Micah and John. The way the two had really felt adrift with out one another in their lives was heartbreaking. I loved how tender their friendship was. I also am obsessed with John and how sweet he is and how he should be protected at all costs. This man does not have a mean bone in his body. Well maybe for Ryder which is completely acceptable!

I ADORED the cameos we got from the housemates from With Love, From Cold World. Seeing Lauren and Asa all boo'd up and happy and helping out John was the cutest. I always kick my feet for all the best nostalgic references Alicia includes in her books and this one was perfection.

The whole concept for this romance was so unique and executed perfectly. I also was here for the chemistry between them and the way John was mister take control in the bedroom. Yes sir!

My only ask now is when we can get the rest of the housemates books? I need them all! I love this found family of friends that has been created!

Thank you to Berkley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book was another fun one from Thompson. I enjoy her wry humor in conjunction with real life issues. This was a standalone that has cameos of the MCs from With Love, from Cold World. The premise was definitely nostalgic for us millennials. The chemistry and tension was great between the MCs. The story of what happened to the band is slowly uncovered as the cruise progresses. It’s a peek into the pressures of fame that come to those who are really too young to navigate it on their own and how that spills over into personal relationships. I enjoyed it and felt very satisfied by the conclusion.

Yall… this book!! This book is the perfect blend of sexiness, nostalgia, joy, and vulnerability. Micah and John are former best friends/band mates. Their band took off after being featured on a popular TV show but after two albums (barely), the band broke up and everything fell to pieces, including their friendship. Over a decade later, they get the chance to reconnect when the band is invited to perform on a cruise themed after the TV show that launched their career.

There are so many things I enjoyed in this book, I’m going to break them down for you here:
*The TENSION: you have two people who’ve always been close, always had a bit of chemistry but never explored it, confined to close quarters for a few days. The tension between them builds and builds and it’s PALPABLE. There’s a scene where Micah and John are applying sunscreen on each others backs and I was literally sweating!?? I feel like Alicia Thompson wrote a MASTER CLASS in bringing tension and attraction to a boil through acts that are seemingly innocent (drinking water, strumming a guitar) but because there’s ‘will they won’t they’ energy and a history there, these acts become sensual and hot af.
*The SEXINESS: I’m not joking when I say this might be Alicia Thompson’s sexiest book yet… it was so HOT. The aforementioned tension building was a big contributing factor but so was the fact that Micah and John just wanted each other SO BAD and you could feeeel the desire as you read.
*The MUSIC: anyone familiar with Alicia Thompson will know she’s a big Paramore fan (this book is so Paramore coded) and a big fan of music. Music is a central element of this novel and I feel like you could tell that this book flowed out of Alicia Thompson, that she got to explore her passions through these fictional characters and this fictional world. If you’re a music fan, but especially a Paramore fan, you’re going to love this.
*The NOSTALGIA: the backdrop of this book is a cruise that’s a nod to a TV show that was popular when John and Micah were teenagers. Imagine what it would be like if youe favorite CW or MTV show hosted a cruise. Alicia Thompson captured that feeling perfectly while also capturing the nostalgia between Micah, John, and the other band members. They’d say a phrase that only they’d get because it came from their teen years or have a flashback to their band days and it made me think a lot about my younger self.

I could go on and on and on about this book because it truly rewired my brain chemistry. I loved this so much and I already want to re-read it. I wish I could live in this book pages 😭

This book is everything you could want in a rockstar romance and more. These characters are not ultra famous, but are relatable and living out a life so different from what they imagined. This humanizes artists in a very touching way. These characters are lovable and broken and wonderful, and even more so, wonderful for each other. Thompson continues to write stories that hit all the right emotional notes and always leaving readers satisfied, even if they are a bit melancholy that the story is over, and they have to say goodbye to such a wholesome cast of characters. Keep these books coming!!

Alicia Thompson is one of the funniest voices out there. She delivers another hot romance with a great premise. Put her name on it and I will read it.

This is my second book by this author - I adored Love in the Time of Serial Killers. What i loved about that book was the niche millennial humor overlaid with a love story - There were moments of that in this one, and I once again loved that part, and I wanted even more. I also have now realized that books about band reunions might not be for me - It's the drama and the angst and such, but I think others totally love that angle! I also just wanted more about the characters. I wanted to be more invested in the reunion and the love story. There were moments that it was there for sure. Also, if I'm judging this book by its cover, its gorgeous. Thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley for an early look at this June 2025 release. It's on track to be a fun summer read!

I have never read anything by this author, but I will be looking out for other books they write in the future. I really enjoyed the story as well as the pacing of the story.

2.5 stars
This was so disappointing especially since I really enjoyed With Love, From Cold World. But it was just kind of meh for me. I mean it wasn't bad but it also wasn't great.

I thought the premise was intriguing: childhood friends now estranged forced to spend time together by forces outside their control. Plus the cruise for a teen supernatural soap opera sounded like it would add some hilarity (unfortunately no). I did enjoy the side characters even Micah's over the top ex.

I think my biggest issue is that despite this being a romance novel it didn't feel like a romance novel until at least 50% in. There would be snippets of pining or tension but then they were just dropped and weren't picked back up until five chapters later.

There were parts I enjoyed (the final concert, shuffleboard) but overall this just fell flat for me.

This is only my second book by Thompson and so I would probably only recommend to existing fans of their work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this e-ARC!

3.5 ⭐️

This book follow a group of people who were on a band that got a record deal while they were still in high school. After being together for 2 years they parted ways, not amicably… Micah went solo and the rest of the band felt jilted by her but none of them knew the real story until they agreed to play a reunion on a cruise.

John is the perfect example of the best friend, good guy and quiet type. Ryder is literally satan lol.

Overall the story was good, I don’t really love romance in the third person though so that’s hard to look past.

So glad that we finally got to crack into the stoic cinnamon roll that is John, diving into the backstory of the band and more importantly his relationship with Micah. I found her emotional journey to be especially compelling, as she reckons with the perks and fallout of fame. With a compressed timeline and enough pressure to watch the band bond or break, this latest romance is sure to touch the hearts of fans, new and old.

I love 2000s Nostalgia. In the first chapter there was a reference to The OC, Supernatural, and One Tree Hill. From this point forward I pictured John as a grown up Seth Cohen. I love all the throw backs to that era. This book has Alicia Thompson’s signature messy characters who are in the need of some growth. I am a sucker for friends to lovers and second chance romance so this was definitely a hit for me.
John is a side character from With Love, From Cold World, which you don’t have to read first, but I will say I felt a little more connected to the house mates he mentioned often since I already knew them. This was definitely Thompson’s spiciest book. I don’t mind spice but some of the timing felt off and made it feel a little more lust based instead of love. Could just be me though.
I still really loved it and even got weepy toward the end. I love how well Alicia mixes serious real life topics with romance and friendship.

((Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for access to the eARC))

First and foremost, a huge thank you to NetGalley, the talented Alicia Thompson, and the wonderful Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an eARC of Never Been Shipped! I was thrilled to access this book on my Kindle in exchange for my honest review.

Let me say, when I received the approval, I was over the moon! The book centers around one of my all-time favorite romance tropes: friends to lovers and second chance romance. Swoon alert 💕! And can we talk about that cover? It is absolutely perfection! 😍

This was my first book by Alicia Thompson, but I can assure you it definitely will not be the last. The plot execution was exceptional, weaving a rich tapestry of music, nostalgia, and romance. The flow felt seamless, making it difficult to put down. You really feel the electricity between the characters, enveloping you in their journey from the get-go 🔥.

Publication Date: June 10, 2025 – mark your calendars, because this is one release you won’t want to miss!

Blurb Recap
The story revolves around Micah, a musician whose relationship with music is layered with complexity. After her band skyrocketed to fame as teenagers, they fizzled out just as quickly. Now, over a decade later, they're reuniting for a performance on a themed cruise. Micah is determined to avoid past mistakes—particularly with matters of the heart.

Enter John, Micah's former best friend and bandmate, who has always been a supportive shadow in her life. After years apart, he finds himself longing not just for the music but for Micah as well. The cruise is a melting pot of emotions, where they both must navigate their feelings and decide if their chemistry sparks something much deeper than just music 🎶.

My Thoughts
The way Thompson captures the complexities of friendship and romance is commendable. The characters felt genuine and relatable—each dealing with their vulnerabilities while simultaneously facing old emotions. The tension onboard the cruise, paired with the time limit of their time together, creates an engaging backdrop that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

Micah and John’s character development is beautifully done, as they both confront their pasts and re-examine their relationship. The dialogues were witty and heartfelt, making every interaction feel significant.

In a world that often prefers clear-cut endings, this story expertly treads the line of uncertainty, inviting readers to remain hopeful ❤️. The emotional stakes were high, and I found myself rooting for them to embrace their second chance.

In conclusion, Never Been Shipped is an enchanting blend of nostalgia, romance, and music that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt 'what if.' I can’t recommend this enough to fans of contemporary romance or those who cherish tales of second chances. Prepare to be swept away! 🌊

I was overall very disappointed and underwhelmed by this book.
It felt like something I've read a million times over, and while it was cute, it didn't feel like anything new, or exciting, or special.
I appreciated the fun elements of the band and the cruise, but I was pretty bored the entire time and felt like it never really got going. I didn't connect well with the main characters and I felt that the author was trying too hard to be "woke" in a lot of aspects with gender identities and pronouns. While I appreciate the political correctness, it became complicated to read.
I think that this author and I just don't vibe well together. This is now her 3rd book that I have read and I haven't been impressed by any of them.
Thank you to the publishers and this platform for the e-ARC and opportunity to read and review!