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.

ARC Review: Never Been Shipped by Alicia Thompson
Pub Date: June 10th

Thank you @berkleyromance for the eARC and @bookswithnopictures and @just_talking_to_my_shelf for including me on the traveling ARC of this! All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

10 years after her band, ElectricOh, broke up, Micah finds herself on a cruise ship for a mini reunion. She's not exactly excited about this since her ex is also in the band and Micah feels guilty that she's the one who broke up the band in the first place. Also there for the reunion? Her best friend and guitarist John who she hasn't spoken to since the band broke up. They've known each other since they were kids but never dated even though John secretly harbored feelings for her for years.

John is basically the perfect MMC - he's SO sweet, tender, swoony, and is also a HUGE dirty talker in bed (yes please). I thought his chemistry with Micah was just incredibly palpable and though it takes her time to accept what she's feeling, he is just her biggest fan the entire time.

Micah has some growth to do during the course of this book but I really think she accomplishes that goal well - I was definitely rooting for her the whole time to recognize her feelings and feel brave enough to take that leap both with John but also in her own life.

The side characters of Steve and Frankie are incredible - the traveling ARC group decided we need a short story just with their shenanigans on the cruise. I really loved the relationships between all of the band members (except literal cesspool Ryder who gets exactly what he deserves).

I loved the third act!! They don't actually breakup but instead go back to their respective homes and kind of figure out what they each want to do next as individuals - I hate a third act breakup so I loved this because we still got to see that growth from both characters.

3.75-4⭐️
I can always count on Alicia Thompson for an entertaining romance read! Never Been Shipped is a romance about a band that is reuniting after years apart to perform on a cruise ship. Two of the band mates, Micah and John, have history and are forced to work together on the cruise. I love a good forced proximity moment and Alicia delivered with this one!! The banter and flirty moments between Micah and John were well balanced with intimate vulnerable moments that made me really feel the connection between the two of them. The spice between them was good but what sold me was how caring and comforting John was to Micah in the after intimate moments where she was having emotional moments. Outside of the romance, I loved that we also got to see Micah work through the issues that she had with her other bandmates, communicate more effectively, and ultimately fall back in love with creating music again. I have read everything Alicia has written and will continue to do so because they are such fun, entertaining reads filled with tension and chemistry!

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy!

alicia thompson the woman that you are!!! the art of catching feelings was one of my favorite books from last year and i'm sooo happy that this book didn't disappoint. listen, best friends to strangers to lovers will ALWAYS hit, every single time. ugh i loved them bad

If you read With Love, From Cold World you are going to want to dive into this. With interconnected characters you'll find out what a concert cruise is in this friends to lovers, secrets, and a second chance for a first kiss.

When former bandmates John and Micah reunite for a fan cruise will they finally have time to resolve
the reason the band split?

Assumptions, expectations, and misunderstandings make way for love, loss, and reconnection in this spicy
high seas adventure.

I always enjoy Alicia's books and this one takes us into the world of rock and roll, creative differences, family expectations, self discovery, relationship challenges, and the unique opportunity to have a second chance.

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for the advance copy of the book!

This book comes out on June 10th.

If you don't know by now, whatever Alicia writes, I will read. It's not like I know her personally but from the image I gather on instagram as well from her newsletters (which I say with every review, if you have not subscribed to her newsletter - you should), I feel like this book was most like her. In the sense of the theme. Alicia is not shy about her love of emo music and female fronted bands and this gave us that. And that is also why I was SO excited to read this book!

She gave me former friends, one hit wonder band stuck on a cruise where they are forced to work together to play for the guests. If you do not know by now, I love force proximity! And in this case they all but especially our leads Micah and John were pretty much forced to work through their past issues. Micah didn't have a great relationship with the other members of the band especially after she left which then snowballed into the band breaking up. We do learn the reason why she left and her working through the issues with the band.

I probably say this with every new Alicia book but I felt like this book was the spiciest! I was like okay John and Micah - get it!! She just is so good with writing those intimate moments and of course the flirty banter. Since John and Micah knew each other from when they were kids, there was just this delicate way that they were with each other and yet also so dirty!! I just love them together so much! There was a moment after they had sex when Micah started to cry and bb John was so concerned! His gentle "Talk to me" made me SWOOON!

I had been reading some heavier books when I started this and it was exactly what I needed. If you are looking for a swoony, former friends/bandmates to lovers on a week long cruise - this book is for you!

When former bandmates Micah and John reunite for a one-time performance on a themed cruise, old tensions—and deeper feelings—resurface. With just five days at sea, they’ll have to confront their past, navigate the present, and decide if their second chance is worth the risk. Can they finally hit the right note, or will their shot at love sink before it sails?

I’ve been a fan of Alicia Thompson’s previous novels, so I was eager to dive into Never Been Shipped—and it delivered a fun, emotionally layered reunion romance with a nostalgic twist. I’m a sucker for a good band-reunion trope, and setting the story on a cruise ship made the whole experience even more entertaining. The close quarters, the performances, and the simmering tension between the characters made for the perfect backdrop.

The chemistry between Micah and John sizzled from the start, and I have to say, the spicy scenes were steamy without feeling overdone—the dirty talk actually worked here! John completely stole my heart. He was tender, loyal, and quietly pining in the most swoon-worthy way. I just wanted to wrap him in a big hug. His unwavering support for Micah—even after she ghosted him for a decade and broke up the band—made me root for him even harder.

Micah, on the other hand, was more complicated for me. She came across as a little self-involved at times, and I struggled to fully connect with her. It left me wondering why John still held onto so much affection after all those years. That said, the band drama added a compelling layer to the story, and I appreciated how everything—both musically and romantically—came together by the end. A heartfelt second-chance romance with just the right amount of angst, heat, and harmony.

Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Never Been Shipped by Alicia Thompson is an epic & entertaining rocking romance about a band reuniting on a cruise ship where two band mates have a fascinating history & breathtaking chemistry & feelings just waiting to sail off, but will their difficult past, band drama & more get in their way?! Read Never Been Shipped to find out!

Never Been Shipped is great for those looking to read…
💜 Spicy Musicians/Bandmates Romance
💜 Cruise Ship Reunion Performance
💜 Forced Proximity
💜 Teenage Crushes/Friends Reunited as Adults

I’ve read multiple books from this author & they have such a unique & fascinating storytelling ability. The chemistry between these two leads along with the setup was undeniably electric. They were such a joy to root for & I loved learning about their intense & deep rooted history.

This book has an epic playlist that corresponds to each chapter, which I thought was so neat & perfect for a music themed book.

If you are looking to get lost in an intriguing & emotional romance between two former bandmates full of unrequited love, will they won’t they, spicy goodness & music galore, because if so, I highly recommend Never Been Shipped!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

This is one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it absolutely exceeded my expectations. This book had the perfect amount of drama, with the perfect amount of friends to lovers (and maybe even could be considered second chances, perhaps??). Absolutely love the setting of them being on a boat and reuniting during their band reunion. This book had moments that were funny and moments that made me swoon. Absolutely adored this book!

Micah's relationship to music is complicated. As teenagers, her band took off after being featured on a popular TV show, but the group barely released their sophomore album before breaking up. Now, over a decade later, the band is reuniting for one more performance on a themed cruise, and Micah is determined to learn from her past mistakes -- no losing herself in the music, and no losing her heart along the way.

John misses playing in a band, and mostly he misses Micah, who'd been his best friend until the music stopped. Back then, he didn't take the lead, either in his guitar parts or while he sat back and watched her date another bandmate. John's never been one to rock the boat, but he's faced with another chance now that this cruise has brought music -- and Micah -- back in his life.

Onboard, Micah can't help but see John with brand new eyes, and John's feelings only intensify as the discordant band's tension grows to a breaking point. With five days at sea, there's a ticking clock on anything that might develop between them, and they'll have to decide if their relationship is destined to be more than a one-hit wonder.

I was so excited to return to another character from the cold World Series (my absolute favorite book by Alicia) and I must say this truly did not disappoint.

John is another roommate from the house but this book goes from the house to a boat! Remember the song that John talked about getting royalties from - well his old band is getting back together to perform that song - on a cruise ship!

When John was apart of ElectricOh, they were rising stars. They toured, they had fun, and they performed on a popular tv show. When that popular tv show hosts a cruise for fans, ElectricOh is invited to perform their biggest hit. The only problem - they haven't performed together since Micah went solo. When the band broke up, John lost his best friend and now isn't sure what will happen when he has to see her again. Micah is nervous to see the people she once considered her closest friends - especially John. But when they finally get to sit down and figure out what happened all those years ago, will they find more than just a friendship.

Thank you so much @berkleyromance @netgalley for the chance to read this one early! When I got the approval notice I just knew that I had to wait till I was on my cruise to read it - and boy was it worth the wait. I really enjoyed these characters and continue to love @aliciabooks writing style.

Who doesn’t love a pop punk cruise? This is what caught my attention with Alicia Thompson‘s Never Been Shipped. I’ve already been wanting to read her books since With Love, from Cold World came out; the Paramore reference was like a siren call. That one is still on my TBR, but today, one of its side characters, John, gets his long-overdue happily ever after in Never Been Shipped.

Thirteen years after their band ElectricOh! broke up, the five members are asked to join a cruise centered around the popular series one of their songs was featured in. They’ll need to perform a couple of small sets, participate in games like bingo and shuffleboard, and soak up the Caribbean sun. Micah is nervous because she broke up the band, in part due to her breakup with lead guitarist Ryder. But she’s also nervous about seeing her best friend (and rhythm guitarist) John again. Can the band play well together after all these years? Can Micah and John reclaim their friendship… and something more?

What I Liked:
- Paramore vibes! This author clearly loves Paramore, from the band structure and relationship dynamics (I see the parallels!) to the included playlist featuring a lot of songs from both the band and Hayley Williams. Since I love their music, I was excited to read a book with so many nods to them.
- Pop punk cruise vibes, too! Paramore did their Parahoy cruise three separate times in the 2010s; Andrew McMahon did his Holiday from Real cruise in 2016, with another scheduled for 2026. Clearly, pop punk music and Caribbean cruises go hand in hand. I didn’t get to join any of the aforementioned cruises, so I was happy to feel like I did in reading this book.
- (Former) friends to lovers. Not exes to lovers! Micah had dated Ryder way back when, but there’s a reason they broke up. This story focuses on the guy who was there before, her best friend John, and their chance to finally become friends again. Oh, and admit to the crushes they’d had on each other when they were in school. The love John still feels for Micah. I loved seeing their relationship blossom, however late!
- John doesn’t drink. This is a minor thing, but I like that John doesn’t drink alcohol. Same for me! And for the same reason.
- Frankie and Steve. I love these two bandmates! They’re both so chill and nice in their own ways. Ryder is toxic and annoying, but he gets what he deserves lol.
- The music! I know, I already went on about Paramore and Andrew McMahon. But truly, Never Been Shipped is so infused with music! The characters are shown playing music, discussing specific chords, composing new songs, discussing favorite albums… I loved all the attention to detail in making them feel like a real band.

Final Thoughts
Never Been Shipped was a joy to read, even when it tackled some more emotional themes. I loved John and Micah so much, from their genuine friendship to their obvious chemistry to the future they run towards. True to the apparent inspiration, reading this book felt like bringing Paramore songs to life in the best way. Music fans will enjoy this one.

I’m excited to read more from Alicia Thompson, starting with Asa and Lauren’s story in With Love, from Cold World.

This was my first Alicia Thompson book, and it certainly won't be my last! The way that she wrote these two beautifully flawed characters was so heartwarming, and their banter made me smile.

Micah and John were part of a teenage band, ElectricOh! until Micah broke it up and didn't speak to any of them for more than a decade. Now the band is reuniting for a 5 day theme cruise and John wonders if this is finally his chance to tell Micah how he has always felt about her.

I love a dual POV, especially in a book like that this one that is more character than plot driven. We get so many insights into what these two are thinking and feeling. Micah remains a bit of a mystery, and it's clear from the start that she's been struggling for years. John has been desperately in love with her since they were 12, but never wanted to disrupt their deep friendship. But his feelings never faltered and the way he pined for her made me feel all the feels!

This book didn't grip me in a way that made me frantic to rush through and find out what was going to happen, but it did grab my heart and hold on tight. I enjoyed reading slowly and savoring the angst that these characters experienced. The flashbacks to their childhood helped flesh out who they were as people and offered so much insight into their decisions. The musical aspects were also fun to read about, and I loved how important it was to them and how it shaped their entire lives.

If you're interested in a book that explores the deep intricacies of a childhood friendship, a band's rise to fame and subsequent fall, a second chance, and a friends-to-lovers love story, you have to read this one!

If you came of age as a millennial, and then lived a chronically online existence...
If you have ever shipped real people together and then had FEELINGS about that...
If you had a childhood friend that you were also falling in love with...
If you like when the band gets back together, just for one show...

Then this book is for you.

While it's definitely Paramore-coded in some places, it's also like talking about music with my friends back in high school, and easy to slide back into the bands I loved then and how they would fit into the conversation between the leads, John and Micah. It's like talking about the songs you loved (and hated) was it's own coded language, and that's what this feels like.

I've read every Alicia Thompson book either right upon release or prior to (woo, ARCs) and I swear every single one feels like it's written exactly to my taste, and this one is no different. I'll have to sit on it for a bit but this one might be my new favorite. All her books are an auto-buy for me because I know I'm going to get really good writing, really great love, and probably laugh and cry.

John and Micah were childhood friends who started a band and the band got famous and then she dated someone else in the band and when they broke up the band imploded and everyone stopped talking because they were young and a certain kind of idiot. They reunite for this cruise to play their big song, and time apart has not dimmed John's feelings for Micah and Micah is finally like oh duh, John, and she is also realizing that she's locked herself away for years because of the way it all hurt. So cue cruise shenanigans, more adult communication and life experiences, and some music, and people start to get it together the way they should.

Loved it, but I expected no less.

In Never Been Shipped the former one-hit wonder band, ElectricOh! reunites to perform on a cruise for fans of a popular television show.
Back when the band was still together but struggling, Micah, the lead singer, decides to go solo. She leaves the band behind, including her childhood best friend, John, who's also one of the band's guitarists. If you've read Alicia's book With Love, from Cold World you'll already know and love John and this book is all about him! And he's so lovely! What a great guy! He's been crazy about Micah since they were kids so as you can imagine being on a ship together for several days leads to lots of fun!

The rest of the band is great too, but not you Ryder, you go away!!
Frankie is super cool and non-binary and Steve is just happy to be there!
I loved seeing Micah, John, Frankie & Steve interact after so much time apart and their conversations around why the band ended. We also get to learn about what each member has been up to since the band broke up and some are in a better place than others.

I really love John and Micah, I found them both super relatable with their struggles when they were kids and also now as adults, especially with Micah. She's been through a lot and has been holding onto a lot and I really felt for her.
These two are really great together, loved seeing them come back to each other and realize how they really feel about each other. Their banter is sweet and funny and they have such great chemistry! I just might like these two more than Asa & Lauren ... and Asa is one of my favorite characters ever ... so I guess Alicia did it again!!
This book isn't quite a second chance romance since John never had a chance to do anything before but it's got friends to lovers, rockstar romance, forced proximity, lots of great spice and it's just a lot of fun! Alicia always writes characters that make me feel seen and this book is no different! I genuinely loved it and I highly recommend it!

This one was a definite hit for me! While the plot was solid, it was the characters who truly made this book shine.

Micah, I won't lie, starts off a bit toxic. But her character growth? Chef's kiss! It was so satisfying to see her finally have the real conversations with John that she should have had all along. I mean, the guy was clearly head over heels for her! And speaking of John, he needs to be protected at all costs. He's incredibly sweet, thoughtful, and honestly just deserves the best.

I'm often wary of second-chance romances because they sometimes lack tension or enough pining for my taste. Well, this one had all the tension and all the pining — yes, please!

The mental health representation in this book was also spot-on. It was handled with such thoughtfulness and deliberation, making the characters feel incredibly real. While it doesn't excuse past actions, it definitely offered valuable insight into the mistakes that were made.

Thank you to the publisher for the free eARC!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

John and Micah were friends, then bandmates, then nothing, until they reunite for a cruise ship reunion show.

Every time I read one of Alicia’s books I think “wow she’s so cool” and this book just cemented how cool she is, honestly. If you told me she was secretly a former member of a world famous rock band I’d totally believe you, because this book feels so real and detailed and vulnerable. I am SO here for the vibes (which are Paramore coded because of course they are, and also a little Taylor Swift coded because everything should be, and also kind of DAISY JONES & THE SIX but if it was a rom-com) and the characters were perfection.

I adore Micah and John, and their love was so beautiful and inevitable and poignant. All of the invisible strings in their relationship and all of the moments they KNEW each other so completely just got to me, and I DEFINITELY shipped these two (see what I did there?????). I also loved the way the third act was handled (my highest praise).

Overall, 1000% recommend and glad to cheerfully continue as the Alicia Thompson mega fan I already was!

CW: Mentions of child abuse/physical abuse; alcoholism; sexual harassment

My relationship with this author is that one of her books made me more interested in sports romances and the other made me want to be a serial killer myself... you figure out which is which.

Honestly, this is a love letter to those losers who peaked in high school and never got over it because you cannot tell me that these five grown ass adults want to go on a cruise and sing a song for a bunch of TV nerds just because they were in an episode for 20 seconds... like I refuse to believe that. On that same note, we have our two main characters: the conceited, conventionally attractive strawberry blonde with daddy issues and a raging hard on for her childhood best friend, and said childhood best friend who has "very curly black hair that when pulled straight would springboard back". That explains everything about their personality too- besides being obsessed with each other and fucking where ever they can on this ship, they're all about the music and their hair.... literally. The hair is a big thing in the first few chapters.

Also, the other characters are just there to make them seem more flushed out but that did not work at all.

Thank you to Berkley Romance, Ace Books Publishing, and NetGalley for the free advanced copy! (Warning: spoilers below!)

Never Been Shipped is a childhood friends to strangers to lovers story. The short summary: Former band members decide to play another show for a special cruise ship reunion event. I was interested in reading a romance between two members in a band, and complex band dynamics. With so many repeated tropes in the contemporary romance genre, I felt like 2 musicians was a more niche trope that I haven't seen much of. Also, the cover art is so cute! Props to the artist who created the cover because if I'm honest, the cover design and colors are the first thing that caught my attention.

ROMANCE TROPES: forced proximity, he falls first, there was only one bed, second chance *kind of*, mutual pining, miscommunication (in the past), childhood friends reunion, bisexual FMC

TRIGGER WARNINGS: toxic relationships, blackmail, gaslighting, psychological abuse, sexual content

Micah is our FMC and the lead singer of the band. She dealt with toxic relationships in the past (her ex-bf is an asshole, and to some extent her dad?), but I felt like she was also toxic to the MMC. She knew that she hurt him in the past, but ignored him for many years, even though he made attempts to reach out. Even after they reunite, it felt like John made most of the effort to rekindle their relationship. She mostly played damsel in distress and it seemed like she lacked the ability to stand up for herself until John stepped into the picture.

John, our MMC, was lowkey a punching bag for a lot of the story. He falls first for sure, and is much more open and aware of his feelings. He was in love with Micah for his entire life and was extremely hurt when she broke up the band and cut off contact with him. After reuniting, he immediately forgives Micah, and even lets Ryder push him around for a while too.

What bothered me was that Micah and John were obviously in love with each other when they were in high school/adolescence, but Micah decided to go out with Ryder instead. And even when Ryder was an asshole to her, she just held it in and hid her struggle. She chose Ryder over John, knowing that John treated her right and was literally her best friend looking out for her. In a romantic aspect, I don't feel like it was an equally balanced relationship, as it seemed Micah had all the "power" because John was just SO DOWN BAD for her lol. (Hard to be a simp I suppose!)

The spicy scenes were good and even though I questioned their romantic growth, I think the characters had good banter and sexual chemistry.

Overall, I did enjoy the book and it was an easy read, but I can also see how some of the relationship toxicity (between Micah+Ryder, AND Micah+John) could be a turn-off for some.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This author just gets better and better. I love that it’s in the same universe and picks up on John, Asa’s housemate, as he goes on a fan cruise , reuniting to perform and make appearances with his former band mates. I would also like to personally thank Alicia Thompson for sending me down a Hayley Williams/Paramore rabbit hole again. Oh, the angst.