I enjoyed listening to the audiobook. I love when audiobooks have different narrators for the main characters. The dual POVs were fun to listen to. The beginning of the book gave me all the vacation vibes. I love summer rom-coms! I enjoyed the friendship between Hope and her influencer bff. I also liked the banter and wit between Hope and Felix. My main issue is how the romance progressed. It moved too quickly and I thought the third act breakup was a little ridiculous. Overall it was a cute, but forgettable story.

What a great book to listen to this summer! It's all about a couple who meet on a cruise. Neither is ready for romance, but decide a hookup could be OK. But, they run into obstacles, such as her ex appearing on board and sabotaging their relationship, their different social/economic status, and the effects of unsolicited social media posts. A truly modern romance!

I loved the characters of Felix and Hope. They both have complex backgrounds and still struggle with some things from their pasts. The inclusion of "daily announcements" on the cruise ship adds to the reality of the story. It was really fun to listen to this story and it definitely held my interest throughout, as one never knew what would come next. A great summer read/listen!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing an advance review copy of this audiobook. My opinions are my own.

As someone who strongly dislikes cruises, I absolutely enjoyed this cruise ship romance!! This is the perfect summer romance to binge this summer!!

Hope Lanover can't catch a break and has been living her life on autopilot these last few months. Felix Segrave, a chef from across the pond, opposes anything that isn't work related. After much resistance from their perspective loved ones, both Hope and Felix end up on a ten-day cruise, where they end up crossing paths after a few happy accidents. In an effort to let go and have fun, they decide to have a quick fling but things quickly take an unexpected turn!

This was such a fun read with a few unexpected turns! So much happened over the course of the ten days that kept me engaged and rooting for a Hope and Felix romance post-cruise! It was also sweet to see the quiet moments where they felt they could be honest with each other of who they were and what they wanted in life.

"Total Dreamboat" was my first Katelyn Doyle book and I greatly enjoyed it. I look forward to reading more of her works. Kelli Tager and Russ Bain were wonderful narrators and really brought Hope and Felix to life!

I liked the dual POV and thought the separate narrators did a great job bringing the characters to life. Unfortunately, that’s about where my enjoyment ended. I DNF'D around the 20% mark because it felt like the entire story was focused on lust alone. The FMC was completely consumed by her attraction to the MMC, and there wasn’t any real plot other than they were on a cruise. It was rather shallow, and I was just completely uninterested.
Thank you, NetGalley and MacMillan Audio, for the opportunity to listen and review this advanced copy.

I liked this book, but it took me a while to finish it. The beginning is intriguing when, in the present day, Hope and Felix miss getting on their cruise ship and are stuck together without Hope’s phone or Felix’s wallet/ID. After they are already fighting and hurt. It then flashes back to the beginning, where they meet, get close, and the fallout that inevitably happens. I found myself wanting to be back in the present timeline and not being as invested in the leading up to it. I enjoyed the end as it picked back up once we were all caught up. The audiobook’s narration was well done, and I love the narration of Felix, especially. I didn’t love the way the spicy scenes were written, but I am very particular about spicy scenes in the books I read. Overall, it was a good summer read, just not a quick read for me. I rated it 3.5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy!

Total Dreamboat is the second novel by Katelyn Doyle. Hope Lanover is not living her best life. In the past year she was unceremoniously dumped by her fiancé just two weeks after him asking her to move in with him and give up her day job to pursue writing the novel she dreamed of. As a part of a publishing empire, Gabe would have been able to help get her book to press. So she had given up her job, her apartment, sold her furniture and embarked upon a future that was firmly pulled out from under her. As a result, Hope has a studio apartment, a disappointing job with a horrid boss, and not two cents to rub together.

When her best friend, internet influencer Lauren Matheson, invites Hope to join her on an all expenses paid super cruise supplied by Lauren’s advertisers, it seems like a chance to reevaluate where Hope is and where she wants to go. Lauren promised not to use pictures of Hope online as Lauren played the role of a young woman seeking an older, wealthy husband.

On the first day at sea Hope meets Felix Segrave, his two sisters and parents when she accidentally flips crab onto Felix. From there, Felix and Hope spend time together discovering how much they have in common. Things are going very well until the former fiancé shows up on the ship and pictures of Hope and Felix show up online.

Throw in missing the boat, stolen ID, a left behind phone, and a maxed out credit card and Hope and Felix go on an adventure that the reader will hope for a coming happy ending. This is a well written, laugh out loud story with lovable characters and tropical settings. I very much enjoyed this book and do recommend it!

This was overall a pleasant listen, but it was the type of romance that the moment the book finishes I’m not sure I could tell you one thing about it. The vibe is fun, a bit silly, definitely insta-love (but you know that going into it!) but still had a lot of serious topics throughout. I think there was enough conflict between Felix and Hope in regards to their circumstances that it didn’t need the inclusion of the ex drama but that’s just me. The narration was good! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

*Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for early copy for review*

Both audiobook narrators did a good job at portraying the characters. I really enjoyed hearing Felix's British accent.

This story was okay, but did not hold my interest. I appreciated having a curvy main heroine, but I did not feel the chemistry between the main leads.

I thought this book was well written and entertaining. I received the audiobook from Macmillan Audio as a ARC. I really did enjoy the narriators even though it did take me a little bit to get used to the male characters voice. I thought this book was a cute dual POV travel romance. I enjoyed the banter in the book. I LOVED that this book was based on a cruise, as someone who loves crusing this book was so easy for me to keep wanting to read. If you are looking for a book to bring on your next vaction this is definetly it.

Hey, this was cute. And I think it would be a fun, easy poolside read. But I don't think it was perfect for me.

Things I liked:
🚢The sugar-daddy friend. Like I want HER book tbh
🚢The easy, summer vibes
🚢 The way the audiobook did the cruise announcements

Things that didn't work:
🚢This was my first cruise book and I don't think I like them??? No fault to the author, but I was on team Felix hating the idea of buffets and being stuck on the sea with Elvis impersonators.
🚢I was relieved to have a FMC who wasn't a writer... and then she wanted to be a writer. Like ughhhh
🚢I felt like it was more emotional than I expected a cruise summer book to be? I wanted happier vibes, to feel like I'm escaping, but I felt like we glossed over all the fun parts
🚢I don't know. I can't explain it but something didn't click for me. I listened to it quickly and never once said I didn't like it but something wasn't quite working for me.

I think if you're a big rom-com lover, maybe this is more for you? But it wasn't entirely for me.

⭐ (Story) 4.5
⭐ (Narrator) 4.5
🌶️ 2
🥵 Spicy Chapters: 20, 21, 28, 42
📚 Tropes/Themes: vacation romance, strangers to lovers, snarky banter, chef x publicist, love triangle, come for me
👀 Dual POV 1st person
🎙️ Dual narration (Kelli Tager & Russ Bain)
⏰ Approx 8 hours
💔 Triggers: mentions of alcoholism/drug use, struggles with sobriety and rehab
🛍️ Available: Now

💬 This was SO GOOD.

It's funny and heartwarming and emotional and it made me cry a little bit. TBH I think part of the reason why I enjoyed it so much is I have gone on a similar cruise to similar places like I actually remember being in Nassau and walking the beach with my now husband and... accidentally.... stumbling into the water park at Atlantis (don't worry it was January it was closed 🤣) And then we went to the casino there.

First of all the banter between the characters is just top tier perfection, but specially between Hope and Felix. They're like the kinds of conversations that I have with my husband- all the snark and witty banter. And just the storyline in general is hilarious even if you took out the sarcasm it would still be such a funny book.

I loved the side characters too, Lauren and Felix's sisters/parents were just so entertaining. (Especially Lauren and her quest to find a sugar daddy 🤣) I also really, really loved the whole sobriety plot line. It was so relatable and emotional. I didn't expect it to be such a big part of the book but it was perfect.

I'm trying not to use the same adjectives over and over again but I can't help it 🤣

And I really think the audio made it even better. The narrators did an incredible job, especially Tager. I really liked how at the beginning of each chapter during the lead up to the crisis the intro to the chapter was like an announcement you would hear if you were on a cruise ship. You really don't get the same effect if you were just reading it.

I desperately want to see this turned into a movie too

Thank you so very much to @netgalley & @macmillan.audio for this super fun and perfect for summertime ALC!

Out now, this book has such a fun premise and had me from the get go when I saw it involved a meet cute on a cruise ship! Then you add in a bond over books (which we all love), a MMC with a British accent with an incredible family that makes for some great side characters for your next summer read!

As someone who’s never been on a cruise but wants to this setting was so much fun! I’m not usually one for “insta love” but I could get behind falling for one another when you’re stuck in a ship 24/7 for 6 days . I think too all the cruise activities they did and time with his family definitely brings them closer! I absolutely loved the audio narration for this one, the dual POV and narration was excellent and so fun to listen to! I found myself laughing along at the cruise boat shenanigans and swooning at the busking chemistry, but also enjoying the heart felt moments! All the right elements I need in a good rom com read where here!

I thought too even though the relationship started off quick they have growth and time after they get off the cruise ship that also made it believable! Katelyn does such a great job of writing second chances in this and how sometimes love finds you in the most unexpected time and ways!

Hope is looking for a way to regain footing in her life - 8 months after a difficult breakup, scraping to make ends meet with a job she hates - so when her best friend Lauren, an influencer, gets 2 spots on a luxury cruise, she's excited (albeit skeptical) to take the time off for a floating vacation. She meets Felix, posh son of an English baronet traveling with his family. They have instant chemistry but are both wary of jumping into something too soon - Hope while she's trying to sort out her goals, and Felix while he grapples with sobriety.

For my historical romance readers, Katelyn Doyle is also Scarlett Peckham! Where her historicals lean on kink and pushing boundaries, her contemporary romcom is lighter and more straightforward, but written with an eye to craft. There are amusing tributes to histroms throughout, and it's clear that this subgenre is equally fun for her to write. (For those expecting heat, this is less explicit than her historicals.)

I had a lot of fun listening to the audiobook of Total Dreamboat. One reason I rarely gravitate towards contemporary is that I want things to be either extremely realistic or completely bonkers. This leans on the bonkers, but in a way that feels very real: the reasons each character is on the cruise feel legitimate, and the character motivations are well grounded. The cruise setting allows that liminal vacation space to take us off the rails. Kelli Tager and Russ Bain deliver a fun narration that kept me invested.

I enjoyed the author’s release last summer of Just Some Stupid Love Story, and I jumped at the opportunity to listen to this one before release day - many thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for access in exchange for my honest opinion. The narrators were great, and I definitely recommend listening to this book.
Do you have strong feelings pro- or anti- cruises? As the author says, this story is for both sides of the debate! I've only ever been on one cruise, but I have another booked for next summer. And, good news, this book left me pleasantly looking forward to it.
Total Dreamboat tells the story of Hope tagging along on a Caribbean cruise with her influencer friend where she meets Felix, a sober chef on vacation with his family. The forced proximity of the ship, and the immediate attraction between the two, lead to lots of fun… until their plans go just a bit off kilter when they are left stranded at a port without their IDs, phone, and money. I was completely entertained by this dual POV romance with some steamy scenes. And now I'm of course hoping for a romantic connection on my next cruise, without the whole drama of being stranded at port!

In the decades of being an avid reader, it dawns on me that I’ve never read a meet cute cruise romance before. But thanks to Total Dreamboat, now I have!

The first half of the story had me hooked. It was cute, playful, funny, and then sexy. I loved how Hope and Felix interacted, the characters building off each other. The secondary characters had great depth too, each adding their flare to the plot or storyline.

The second half of the story had a more serious tone with very honest emotions and reactions. Unfortunately, because the first half had been so light and flirty, the seriousness felt a bit disjointed. While the third act was tied in reality, I felt it took away from the light-hearted Summer Romance or RomCom feel it started as.

In the end it was cute and I enjoyed the read. If there’s ever follow up stories for any of the characters, I would certainly give it a read.

I was able to enjoy this story via audio thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio. I thought both narrators were fantastic but loved Russ Bain’s British characters the most.

So much fun! I loved the banter between Hope and Felix and felt that the chemistry was good. There were some hilarious moments and some creative license taken to move the story and I enjoyed the time I spend with them, on the ship and off (cruise lines are supposed to leave your passports with the agent at the port if you are left behind; also the pronunciation of conch drove me crazy although that’s how the British pronounce it). This would be a great vacation read.

Hope Lanover is burned out, heartbroken, and reluctantly dragged onto a luxury cruise by her influencer best friend where she meets Felix Segrave, a grumpy, workaholic chef with a complicated past.

The banter was good. While some of the emotional beats felt a bit rushed toward the end, and a few plot twists were predictable, the overall journey was good for a quick summer listen.

Thank you to NetGalley for ARC audio listen.

I've been waiting for this book ever since I finished 'Just Some Stupid Love Story'. So I was super thrilled to get the ARC on this.

I would agree with alot of folks where the first half was the book feel so different on the latter half. The first half was light and fun, you really feel like you're on the cruise with Felix & Hope. You really feel like either the ship is really small, or they really are met to run into each other. As much as both kept telling themselves that this is a summer fling, they both fell, honestly fell for each other.

But of course, miscommunication with insecurities is the perfect formula to break them up. Of course, as much as they were trying to go apart from each other, they both get stranded, together. Thru that traumatic experience, they come together. You think they finally get together, but .... I'll leave that for you to read.

I definitely enjoyed the first book much more than the Dreamboat. But this book has a very positive view on someone that's struggling with sobriety. Also showing you how to protect ones heart, find yourself, then finally ready to welcome the love that's awaits you.

I had the audiobook, and enjoyed narrators: Kelli Tager; Russ Bain. I wish that was a duet instead of a dual, because I can use more Russ' accents. I enjoyed Kelli's work quite a bit, the only part I scratched my head on was the mom's voice, the accent was a bit confusing.

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the audioARC

I have loved both of Katelyn Doyle’s books I’ve read now!!! they’re a so much love and growth, humor mixed with real struggles— they are so related to true life it’s so beautiful seeing such realistic experiences get a happy ending :)

Hope and Felix have such a bubbly lovely relationship buildup, I love how they’re so honest and open about their lives and their affection for one another, I was completely hooked right from the start, especially knowing they’ll have some kind of fall out. I felt like the first chapter set up the almost instant attraction really well and made me instantaneously invested in these two!!

I love how they’re able to dig so much deeper than their insta-love and vacation-fling as the angst and conflict build up, because it lets them fully fall in deep love and have such a strong and lasting happily ever after. I just loved it so much!

I loved this audiobook! the narration and production was perfect to me and let me read this book in one sitting.

thank you so much for the alc!

It took me a little longer than I anticipated to get into this and care about the characters like I wanted to -- which surprised me, because I DEVOURED Katelyn Doyle's last book -- but once I got there, I was smitten. This wasn't an instalove situation, and the feelings behind the tension and conflict were realistic and vulnerable. Which was what was needed to balance out the setting and more ridiculous (in a good way) parts. Both the MCs grew so much, and I am sitting here after the fact feeling genuinely happy for both of them.

I received an ARC of the audio from NetGalley. At first, before I got into the characters, the narration was good but wasn't a *must* for me. Once I got into it, though, I found myself listening to the audio almost exclusively because both narrators really did a great job of bringing the characters to life once I got to know them.

Katelyn Doyle makes me feel things and makes me laugh. Definitely recommend!