This was such a fun read! I really loved the chemistry between Micah and John. The cruise sounded like so much fun, and you could easily tell Steve was a parent just excited to finally get a vacation. It was so great seeing Micah and John finally admit how they felt about each other. Their private talks were some of my favorite parts, you could just see how naturally they fit together. It was such an entertaining story, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

This book blew me away 😭

Alicia Thompson has been on my TBR for years now but this is actually the first of her books I've read!

This book was a perfect blend of Second Chance and Friends to Lovers in a unique and wonderful way.

I've only read a few Rockstar Romances before but this one had some Daisy Jones and the Six vibes with a broken-up band and missed opportunities. I was so invested in all of these characters and where their lives took them after they disbanded their group. All of the side characters were great (except Ryder - ew) and I loved all the little moments and mentions of them. Of course they didn't overshadow our main couple though because those two were absolute fire together. Between the spice and the friendship I needed Micah and John together like I need air.

Music is practically a side character on its own in Never Been Shipped. The way music is discussed in this book from writing music, to attending shows, playing instruments, and sharing mixed CDs; it was literal nostalgia fuel.

This book was something truly special and I'm going to be completely honest in saying that it won't be for everyone but it is 100% for me. The angst of adults who never got to be real teenagers, the yearning even years later, the passion in rekindling. It was everything to me.


Thank you so much to Berkley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review!

Being the one to break up the now defunct band ElectricOh! has left Micah in a musical rut and in a
precarious relationship with her band mates. But when ElectricOh! is asked to perform on a cruise celebrating the show that helped make one of their songs a hit, the band must come together and face each other once again. Not only does Micah have deal with her toxic ex but also guitarist John who she’ has always had a special connection with. As things begin to implode on the ship John seizes the opportunity to show Micah how he still feels about her all these years later. But will Micah, John and the rest of the band be able to leave all their baggage in the past and move on after their time at sea?

Once again Alicia Thompson delivers a highly entertaining vulnerable romance highlighting LGBTQ+ characters and neurodivergence. John’s character in particular who dealt with an alcoholic and abusive father coped by learning how to avoid behaviors that brought on any sort of negative reaction from others. The evolution of both his and Micah’s characters shows how much perseverance and reliance we have a human beings and don’t give ourselves enough credit for. What a treat!

This book is an ode to music lovers and fandoms everywhere, and it made me miss tumblr SO BAD 😭 and also the entire time I was thinking “this is gonna ruin the tour” for no reason LMAO. A broken up band getting back together for a few performances on a cruise ship?? What could go wrong 😗

I loved Micah and John!! I’m so obsessed with it’s always been you x childhood friend tropes ESPECIALLY TOGETHER! 🥰 I love the drama of Micah’s ex being part of the band, and I’m SOOOO glad he got what he deserved 🗑️ the found family was one of my favorite parts of this story, and it built such a beautiful foundation for our MCs. The character development was *chefs kiss* and things get SPICY!!! I wish I could experience this book as a movie because it would be so perfect on the screen!!

Overall I really enjoyed this one, it feels nostalgic and warm and emo all at once (in the best way) 🥰 this is my first book by Alicia Thompson and it’s definitely not my last!!

✨fave quote: “It felt like a push-and-pull, a dynamic they’d always had, where she was the one who wanted to jump and he was the one who gave her the bravery to actually do it.”

A nice second-chance romance.

I like Alicia Thompson's characters. In Never Been Shipped, Micah Presley was the lead singer for the ElectricOh! along with her best friend, John Populin, and classmates, Frankie, Steve and Ryder. They hit it big right before High School graduation. Things were going well for the teen band, including a European Tour, until Micah's father and manager convinced her she needed to go solo. A failing relationship with Ryder did more to convince Micah that it was time to leave ElectriOh! It wasn't long before Micah's solo career also came to a halt.

The band might have slipped into oblivion except that their most popular song, If Only, was featured on a popular paranormal teen show called Nightshifters. Of course, one matter of strife between Micah and Ryder had been that their most popular song was the one song not written by Ryder. It was written by Micah and John.

When Nighshifters is putting together a reunion cruise, they want ElectricOh! to reunite and play If Only and some of their other tunes for the fans. Ryder and John are the only member who continued with music. Micah really wants an excuse not to, but with everyone else is willing to go, she eventually relents.

Tension is high anytime Ryder is in the room, but spending time with John makes Micah realize how much she has missed him from her life. They were inseparable as teens with John always at her house.

John has always cared about Micah but was too shy as a teen to let her know but the more time they spend together, the more they remember how intertwined their lives were and suddenly, Micah realizes she wasted all that time with Ryder when her heart always belonged to John.

THOUGHTS:
Fans, and especially Ryder, come down hard on Micah as the cause for the band's breakup, and while it was Ryder's controlling behavior that Micah was running from, no one seems to remember that they were all about 16 years old when fame found them. I doubt there is one 16 year old out there making their best life decisions and certainly not a teen under the strain of fame and fortune and the pressures of a successful music career. Between John and Ryder, it is questionable that she even gave the annoying Ryder a passing glance but again, at 16 she fell for his attention and flattery.

Oddly enough both John and Micah are still coasting through life off of royalties from ElectricOh! Micah is living by herself, not really doing much of anything while John is living with several roommates and playing guitar for a couple of bands. I felt like neither of them really moved on and were floating moorless through life. While bandmate Steve at least got married, had a kid and was working at Best Buy. We see this more with Micah as the most she has done is help her sister open a beauty salon and sometimes going home to help her out. We have seen this theme in other stories where money doesn't buy happiness since Micah had enough money to buy a condo in LA and live on but her days blurred as she wasn't participating in life.

Alicia Thompson does well creating characters with depth to them.  Even in a simple story of two high school best friends reuniting and finding love, we really got to know Micah and John and why it took them so long to find each other.

An old rock band with middling success - thanks almost entirely to their appearance on an episode of a beloved teen drama - reunites for a pop culture cruise and has to revisit the problems that broke them up in the first place. While (most) of the band settles into their new dynamics (ten years older, with varying interest in being famous and making music), the lead singer and the guitarist, friends long before the formation of the band, have to start over.

Thompson does an excellent job of layering tension and setting the stakes: while the audience is cued to be the most invested in Micah and John's relationship (this is, after all, a romance novel), their old issues also extend to their bandmates and their group dynamic. On top of it, they're all stuck on a cruise ship together and can't get very far away from each other. Watching their romantic relationship develop while also mending their old friendship was a treat, and the ways they reevaluated their lives and priorities was so heartwarming.

Huge thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the Advance Copy!

3.5 ⭐️s rounded up!

Never Been Shipped is my first Alicia Thompson book, but apparently this one connects to her With Love From Cold World, so I’ll definitely be checking that out! This book had a unique premise and some fantastic elements! I loved the ‘getting the band back together’ vibes and the friends to lovers trope, but blending them together had its ups and downs. The focus was split between John and Micah’s past friendship and their past as band mates. The main drama was resolved around the 50% mark, which left a lot of pages where there were minimal stakes. I think since the book centers around a band, I was hoping for a bit more angst and less teenage drama. I LOVED Frankie and Steve, the other members of the band. They were hilarious and down to earth. The romance was also super super cute. John was considerate and actually knew how to communicate, and Micah (while she had a lot of stuff to work through) eventually meets him where he’s at. And the epilogue??? Adorable! It was the perfect ending. Despite some mixed feelings, I enjoyed this one! It’s sweet and quick 🩷

DNF at 50%

Unfortunately, this book did not work for me by the 50% mark.

I found the utter lack of character growth quite disappointing. Only the drummer, Steve, seems to have done anything worthwhile with his life in the years since the band split up. I also felt like there were a lot of words for not a lot of action. The same tensions kept occurring over and over with no sign of stopping.

That said, I did love the bisexual and non-binary representation and would love to see it occur more often in literature.

Never Been Shipped by Alicia Thompson is a rocking romance that answers the question of what if?

Micah and John get a long overdue reunion when their former band, Electric Oh! gets offered a gig on a cruise. Now Micah is faced with seeing John and the rest of her band mates after breaking up the band to pursue a solo career. Added bonus one of their previous band mates, Ryder, is her ex.

What happens when you are all stuck on a ship at sea? Well safe to say there may be some flirting on the shuffleboard floor, as you question what could have been if two people had been honest with their feelings. Oh and a toxic male may just find out he’s not as powerful and charismatic at he thought.

Never Been Shipped was an amazing read that had me invested me from the first chapter. And part of the joy of this book was the characters themselves. Micah was iconic and Johnny made me swoon at every moment.

Micah truly had my whole heart as she dealt with regrets of the past, but also figuring out exactly what she wanted for her present and future. Which let’s be honest is so relatable, because a lot of us ponder what we would have changed from our pasts. And as she deals with aspects of her past, including her ex, she learns to open herself back up to music and find her voice again. Micah also learns that she doesn’t always have to put on a show when it comes to who she is, and with John’s encouragement she is reminded all parts of her make her who she is. Also truly related to her and Tatiana when it comes to success and failure, and didn’t realize how much I had to hear this.

Micah also deals with anxiety and panic attacks and I think it’s such an important representation that was done very well. Especially when we consider that Micah had to learn to deal with fame and balancing how her position as a public figure could trigger a panic attack. But we also see that she has worked on ensuring she is prepared for them by getting medicine and a diagnosis.

Of course Micah is also a bisexual, and I love a good representation in my romance books! Especially when she owns her identity, even when in the face of biphobia.


And of course John was everything I could want in a man. He knew what he wanted from a relationship with his dream girl and was unwilling to compromise, and truly I think this was needed for both of them to find happiness. Not only was he emotionally mature, but he was so caring and ready to defend his friends. I truly just loved him from my first introduction to him.

I also want to give a huge shoutout to all our other characters that felt like found family. I mean Tatiana and Frankie were the perfect little meddling matchmakers and I love them so much.

I truly love Thompson’s writing and this story she created. It was a second chance slow burn romance between friends, but also had the spice sprinkled throughout. And it dealt with so many impactful topics like: childhood abuse, the feeling of inadequacy, toxic relationships, and what fame can do to people. I’m truly just in awe of this book.

Growing up in my pre-teen years in the early 2000’s felt like such a blessing. So much good music came out in those years! And this book felt like a nod to all those young preforms we all obsessed with in our pre-teen/teen years!

If you love romances centered around music, or boys who fall in love with their best friends while kids, or you love a friends to lovers/second chance romance. This might be your sign to pick up Never Been Shipped!

This book felt like nostalgia for me. I love the nods to music and the relationships within this broken up band. John especially 🥹 such a good book boyfriend to now “ship” over! This was a cute, quick & sometimes steamy ride! Hope you enjoy it!! 🫶🏼🎤🎸 out tomorrow, thanks Berkley Romance Publishing & Netgalley 🫶🏼❤️‍🔥

childhood best friends to strangers to lovers!!! and he’s been pining forever!!! and now they’re being reunited and the forced proximity on a cruise ship keeps them together. cannot get more juicy than that. the chemistry between these two had the tension exploding off the page.

I was living for a small flashbacks between these two. I loved their seeing their friendship explode into something more. John is such a sweetheart and Micah was fiery and anxious and I loved the two of them together. This feels like a perfect low angst summery read and it was exactly what I needed when I picked it up.

🎧 Ellie Gossage read for both John and Micah and I think she did a really great job. I was locked in and listened to this super quickly. Thank you penguin random house audio for the gifted audiobook!

what to expect
⟢ childhood best friends to strangers to lovers
⟢ forced proximity - have to reunite their band and perform on a cruise ship together
⟢ it’s always been her for him

I adore Alicia Thompson. I adore her ability to write each book in a truly original way with a fun premise and loveable characters. Never Been Shipped did not disappoint. An adorable second chance romance with the heftiest dose of forced proximity, Never Been Shipped is the story of former bandmates and partners, Micah and John, whose band performs a reunion on a cruise ship. Equal parts heartfelt and funny, this is one of the best rom-coms of 2025.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Synopsis: A band reunion aboard a cruise ship reunites exes John and Micah and gives them a second chance at love and music.

Thoughts: Adorable cover ✅ Fun premise ✅ Favorite tropes ✅
This was my first book by Alicia Thompson, but it won’t be my last! I am a sucker for band romances and second chance romances - add in a fun and unique cruise ship setting? Sold. This book is so fun and clever with a fresh spin on some common romance tropes. Micah and John’s chemistry developed organically as they reconnected, and their backstories added great character depth. I loved the vulnerability of the characters as they rediscovered their relationship and their love for making music together. Overall, a super sweet, nostalgic and fun read that I highly recommend for any contemporary romance fans!

Read this if you like:
🎸 second chance romance
🎸 forced proximity
🎸 musicians
🎸 cruise ships

Never Been Shipped is pure serotonin in book form. Alicia Thompson delivers a wildly charming, swoon-worthy story that had me smiling, laughing, and clutching my heart from the very first page. This book is a love letter to fandoms, found family, and that beautifully chaotic feeling of being seen by someone, even when you're not sure you deserve it.

The main character is quirky, vulnerable, and deeply relatable, especially for anyone who’s ever fallen a little too hard for a fictional couple or poured their heart into an online community. And don’t even get me started on the romance—the chemistry is off the charts. The banter is witty, the slow burn is delicious, and the emotional payoff is so worth the wait.

But what really sets this book apart is the heart behind it. Thompson explores themes of self-worth, anxiety, and the courage it takes to truly connect with someone when you’ve been hurt before. Somehow, she balances laugh-out-loud moments with deeply moving emotional beats, and she makes it look effortless.

If you're a fan of nerdy heroines, cinnamon-roll love interests, convention chaos, and romances that feel both grounded and magical, Never Been Shipped is your next must read. This book didn’t just meet my expectations, it shipped them, wrote fanfic about them, and gave them a happily ever after.

I’ll say this before my review just because I rated it 3 stars doesn’t mean it was a bad read!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️ It had its good moments and its meh ones. This review is just my honest take, and hopefully it helps you decide if it’s the right book for you based on my experience!

This book follows John and Micah, who were part of ElectricOh! a rock band that broke up years ago. After one of their songs becomes a viral sensation, they get the opportunity to reunite for a cruise performance. John and Micah were childhood best friends, but after the band split, they stopped speaking. This reunion not only brings the band back together but also slowly rekindles the connection between them, and let me tell you… the slow burn is good 🔥

Micah starts seeing John in a new light heheh feelings that were always there but she never let herself acknowledge. Meanwhile, John’s feelings for Micah have never faded. Watching her finally realize what’s been right in front of her was priceless 💕

Alicia gave us a beautiful story about childhood friends who drifted apart after leaving the band which they both loved. The way they cautiously tiptoe back into each other’s lives after so long was tender, emotional, and filled with real character growth. That moment when Micah was like “wait a freaking minute” and it clicks? I was into it 💖

Also, the cruise setting?! Summer vibes on point. ☀️🚢 I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a slow burn that starts with glances, builds with a few hesitant words, and then BOOM the emotional snowball begins.

Now, the reasons this was a 3-star read for me:
⇛ The slow burn, while amazing in parts, sometimes dragged. I found myself thinking, how obvious do we have to get for these two to realize they’re in love already?!
⇛ Micah was frustrating 89% of the time 😂 and while I get that her character was meant to be flawed and in need of growth, there were moments I wanted to scream, “Johnny boi, you deserve better!”
⇛ As for the spice… some scenes hit, but a few word choices were very repetitive and honestly took me out of the moment 🫣

Overall: I do think this is a good book! I loved the nostalgic band reunion, the cruise concept, and how an unfinished story between John and Micah got a second chance. 💫

tropes:
🎸 forced proximity
🎸 childhood friends to lovers
🎸 getting the band together
🎸 he falls first (it was always her)
🎸 mmc guitarist x fmc singer

I loved this one 😭. The plot was good but the characters really just made this one for me.

Micah is kind of toxic not gonna lie. The character growth though? 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻. Her finally having real conversations with John like she should have done the whole time. Like girl he was in love with you. John really should be protected at all costs. He's so sweet and thoughtful and just really deserves only good things. Second chance doesn't always do it for me because I don't always feel like there's enough tension or pining. Well. This had ALL the tension and ALLLLL the pining. Yes freaking please??

The mental health rep was on point. It was done thoughtfully and deliberately and made the characters feel more real and while it doesn't excuse past actions it definitely gave some insight into the past mistakes that were made.

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. 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!!

3.5
The cover is the reason I wanted to read Never Been Shipped. It’s really pretty and i love the colors.
I will say that I did enjoy this book for the most part. The whole reunited band thing was nostalgic and fun. I really liked John a lot too. He seemed like such a sweet soul. Micah, however,… I don’t know. I didn’t *not* like her but it always felt like John was way more into her, in the past and in the present. I think that just made the romance portion feel a little strange for me and felt like it went from 0 to 60 a little too quickly.
The various titanic references were fun and there was a The Used reference which made me happy! 😍
Overall, I still thought this was a nice read if you’re into childhood friends/bandmates to lovers.

Micah and John met in homeroom when they were just 12 years old. Micah was the more outgoing of the two, quick to introduce herself, while John tended to keep to himself. Over time, they formed a close friendship built on a shared love of music, eventually starting a band together in high school. The band had a decent level of success, releasing two albums before ultimately breaking up and Micah starting a short-lived solo career.

A decade later, Micah and John haven't spoken in years, but the band is invited to perform a few songs on a five-day cruise. Micah, though hesitant, agrees—partly in hopes of finding the closure she never got. John, unsure of what to expect, sees the trip as a chance to reconnect and possibly rebuild something that was lost with Micah.

I felt like the book started strong. The characters were developed early on, and I found myself rooting for them. I enjoyed the dual perspective and the premise of the band getting back together. The cruise setting and the music storyline added a fun element to the book.

Where the story lost me was, ironically, when the romance began to heat up. I liked Micah and John as characters and didn’t mind the idea of them as a couple, but I wished we’d gotten more meaningful conversations between them before the more spice started. Once that part of their relationship began, it seemed to take over the story for me, and I started to feel a bit disconnected from the plot. I was hoping for more emotional conversations around what had driven them apart, but those moments felt a bit overshadowed.

That said, I did enjoy the cruise ship setting and the cast of side characters. The book was entertaining overall, even if the romance didn’t fully click for me.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review. I am such a sucker for a romance with a music storyline! This is a musician/band romance with childhood friends to lovers, lovers to enemies, and second chance romance. Micah and John reconnect with their music on a picturesque cruise.