Cosy crime writer Carmen Cunningham is in trouble. Her inspiration has vanished, her deadline is looming, and her meddling elderly mother Betty consumes her every waking moment. When she sees her favourite author Ruskin Reeve is hosting a writing workshop on the Diamond Star cruise liner and decides on impulse to buy a ticket and see if she can get over her writers block. Unfortunaltey for her, her overbearing and controlling mother Betty also books a ticket so the pair can holiday together. This actually transfers to Betty having a sevant as she treats Carmen as such.

On board the ship there are a variety of colourful characters from a famous author Ruskin, reowned tv chef Theo, my favourites Fran and Sid who own a upmarket resteraunt in Blackpool. Carmen with the help of all these characters gains confidence and finds herself. This is a well written fun book which includes humour, romance and a spot of mystery. I enjoyed the authors descriptions of all the places the cruise visits including Valetta. It is the first book I have read by the author but I would defintely read more of the books in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon publishing for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

* Expected publication July 3, 2025

The main character is described as an author of cozy mysteries and this book definitely has that cozy feeling to it. Most of the action takes place on a cruise liner and the interplay of all the different characters and all their colourfulness kept the pace of the book high.. the author has a way of describing a myriad of people and their social interactions in a way that made me feel part of it, the crew seemed a friendly place to be even when there was a bit of mayhem. There is a bit of romance running through the book however the real takeaway for me with the intersection of peoples lives on this cruise when no one can go anywhere.. Areal hopeful book.

“A cruise is more than the start of a journey, it is the beginning of a love affair with the sea, where every port brings a new adventure.”

This is the first quote in the book and as an avid cruiser, it couldn’t be more true. From the first page I knew I’d love this book. It’s full of warmth, humour, fun and friendship - everything you want in a book. There’s fun mystery elements in the book that adds a layer of depth to the story. It feels like you’re really there on the cruise and hanging out with your best friends. A fabulous summer read!

Another brilliant summer read from Caroline. I loved the characters she writes as they're always so human and relatable.

I just finished a great heartwarming book. The Cruise Club by Caroline James is available soon and is one you won’t want to miss.

The Cruise Club is a light, feel-good story full of friendship, second chances, and the Med. While the characters and setting are endearing, the plot didn’t quite pull me in the way I’d hoped. That said, fans of cozy, uplifting reads with a dash of romance and adventure may find it a delightful escape. It just wasn’t the right fit for me.

This is a brilliant book, I felt as though the characters became my friends and felt sad to leave them when I finished reading it! At first I found Betty unbelievably irritating, she was so rude to her daughter, but then she became just one of a group of characters, and in fact is quite hilarious later on in the book. The cruise itinerary is so good I reached for my iPad more than once to Google more about it, I’ve definitely been inspired to go on a cruise. Please keep these books coming, they’re fantastic entertainment.

I am planning a Mediterranean cruise next month so I felt this would be a great kick off book.
Carmen, our FMC, is seeking a caregiver break from caring for her mother however, she comes along too.
Thankfully Carmen finds a found family of girlfriends that you will fall in love with! Each character is well developed and even a cameo from other books.
I greatly enjoyed the romance and the friendship and the humor lightened up the book.

I was so excited to read this book as I loved Caroline’s book The Cruise and couldn’t wait to hear more from The Diamond Star.

Carmen needs a break away from her elderly mother Betty but unfortunately she insists on tagging along to ruin Carmen’s dream holiday. However Carmen meets some great friends and both her and Betty make some life changing connections.

The characters were brilliant and so well described, I really felt like I was on the ship with them. Fran is an excellent character from Caroline’s previous book The French Cookery School so it was great to catch up with her and her lovely husband. It was also great to have Dicky Delaney back on board as i do have a soft spot for him and his act.

There was plenty of humour, romance, friendship and some mystery which made for an amazing 5 star summer read which I would definitely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley, Caroline James and Avon Books UK for an advance copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.